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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382760">Healthy Boundaries ...and relationships in general</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Escritora2Aliasfox/pseuds/Escritora2Aliasfox'>Escritora2Aliasfox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Castlevania (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Protective Doggo, Rescue, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, he protec, lots of bonding, there's a werewolf in this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:55:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382760</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Escritora2Aliasfox/pseuds/Escritora2Aliasfox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrian is starting to lose his mind in the lonely void of his castle when he meets a new friend who's willing to give him a helping hand with the whole ordeal... then Sumi and Taka come along</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Sumi/Taka, Alucard/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>WARNING. REAL BAD SPELLING. I KNOW, IM SORRY.</p><p>That said, I hope you guys like the story. Its been a while since last I wrote so maybe it isnt perfect.<br/>You guys let me know in the coments!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alucard looked up as a little flock of birds flew away from right in front of him, and he saw it.</p><p>A few steps ahead, not too far, there was a shadow.<br/>
A black shadow in the shape of a wolf, or a dog. Definetly a canine. He couldn't tell, the animal had very dark, shaggy fur, but it was staring right at him, and it was big.</p><p>Looking at his piercing dark ember eyes Alucard decided that it was definetly a wolf. They looked almost red in the dim light. He seemed to be calculating whether or not Alucard was prey or a threat. Alucard ignored it. Even if the rest of the pack was surrounding him, there was no risk for him. No pack of wolves could threaten his life.</p><p>He picked up his basquet with wild onions, fish and berries, and turned his back right in the face of the wolf.</p><p>...and as he walked away, he heared steps following. He turned arround. The wolf was closer now, behind him. Was it getting ready to pounce as he turned around?</p><p>The animal sat and wagged its tail. No. Definetly not a threat. That was definetly dog-like behaibour.<br/>
Heck, that was well behaived, dog-like behaibor.</p><p>Adrian walked closer to the animal, and ofered the back of his hand. The dog smelled carefully and gave him a friendly lick, then looked him in the eyes with a little whine.<br/>
It made him smile. Alucard scratched the creature between the ears.</p><p>'so. Are you a wolf-dog cross? Or a  domesticated wolf, hm?'</p><p>The animal answered with a friendly "ruf" and another wag. Alucard considered his posibilities.</p><p>Did the it belong to anybody? If it didn't, could he take it in? And if he could, should he?</p><p>Yesterday morning he had found himself talking to himself imitating the voices of his hand made puppets... and reliced lonelines was somehow afecting him. Perhaps the company of a pet could help with that.</p><p>If the animal had no owner, how to make it his? Could he just get it inside the castle and it would be happy to stay?</p><p>As an experiment, he offered a fish from his basquet.</p><p>The canine was excited at the offer, and gladly took it, eating it right then and there.<br/>
Adrian didn't dare bother him while he was eating, he seemed hungry and it was big too, so better leave it be and go get himself another fish.</p><p>On his way back to the creek he confirmed with a glance that it was a male.</p><p>Back to the castle, tho, he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was passing by with its owner and was already gone?<br/>
Adrian sighed and went back inside to prepare himself some dinner.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A new face</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alucard meets someone new by the creek. He asks for asylum, and in exchange he has a couple offers...<br/>Also he talks a lot. But Adrian doesn't mind.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Next day, as usual, he went outside for water.<br/>
He knew he could easily device something so he wouldn't have to go out everyday for food, but, sad as it was, the colecting and coocking ritual was one of the few things that made him feel active...<br/>
(he tried not to think of it much)</p><p>When he got up, he found a shadow in front of him, on the other side of the creek.<br/>
This time it looked human. In fact it was no shadow: the man was wearing a long cape, black like the rest of his clotes, matching his long black hair. It made him blend into darkness too easily.</p><p>'hello' the stranger smiled. Alucard took a moment to respond, taken back by the sudden greeting.<br/>
'hello'<br/>
'It is a beautiful day to colect some water'<br/>
'...it is'<br/>
'of course, it only makes sense to colect water if you have somewhere to take it to. Do you happen live in the castle?'</p><p>Alucard put down the buckets.<br/>
'I do'<br/>
'it is a very fascinating castle' the stranger continued 'I travel a lot and I had never seen anything like it... tho, for a moment I thought it would be abandoned. There was no one around, and there's the ruins right next to it. ...do you happen to know who is the owner of the castle?'</p><p>The man had an strange accent that he couldn't quite place... maybe from somewhere to the north?Adrian hadn't talked to anyone in a long time (aside from himself, and his puppets, and that doesn't count) he figured there was no point in lying.</p><p>'I am the owner of the castle'</p><p>The stranger's eyes widened</p><p>'really? You own a place like that and you... colect your own food? You must enjoy cooking'</p><p>There was something eering there. Alucard couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it was the friendly, honest tone of an actual question...</p><p>'how do you know I colect food?'<br/>
'...pardon?'<br/>
'I am picking water. No ingredients. So why did you say 'your own food'?'</p><p>To his surprise, the stranger smiled sheepesly, like he had been caught telling a funny lie.</p><p>'I may or may not have been sniffing around for the last few days, trying to figure out what's with the castle...'</p><p>Now Adrian was impressed.</p><p>'you have been sneaking around without me noticing? Thats... not bad'<br/>
'...a tecnique that runs in the family... so. May I ask, how many people live in the castle?'</p><p>Alucard Frowned 'Why do you ask?'<br/>
'um, see, uh, its been a long journey, and I am tired, and hungry, and it's been hard too, becouse, well, the roads have been crazy lately, with literal monsters roaming around... and maybe there was a chance I could... request, perhaps, asilum here? Just until I am rested. I have money'</p><p>Alucard breathed deeply and thought about it. He couldn't trust anyone who just happened to pass by, right? Tho, this man didn't seem to have any ill intentions. He came right up to him to ask politely, and he was willing to pay.</p><p>Alucard reminded himself how lonely he was and the fact that he could defend himself.<br/>
What was the worst that could happen?</p><p>'Sure. Follow me'<br/>
'fantastic!'</p><p>The newcomer smiled broadly and jumped over the river in one swift move, landing right next to Alucard. The dampir frowned at that, but he didn't ask. He guessed Trevor could have done that jump too, had he been there.</p><p>'My name is Alkay, by the way'</p><p>The halls of the castle where luxurious and shockingly wide... but Alkay mentioned on the broken chandelier becouse, obviously, it just jumped to atention among the rest.</p><p>'sorry' Adrian sighed 'the castle is in poor conditions since... the death of its old master'<br/>
'oh, I am so sorry. How long ago was that?'<br/>
'one month ago... I think'</p><p>There was a thick silence there. Heavy with little doubts.</p><p>'...and no one works throu the bearement?'</p><p>Ouch. He was working. Was he not? ... lets be honest, colecting food made him feel self suficient, but what else was he doing? He wasn't even reading anything at the moment!</p><p>'there is no one here to fix... that. Only me'<br/>
'you live alone in this castle!? Did the servants abandon the place for some reason after the master's death?'<br/>
'there have been no servants in this castle for a long time. My family and I lived here alone. We were self suficient. ...after my parents died, I was left alone'</p><p>Alkay sighed 'I understand. Its seems, in fact you and I have something in common'<br/>
Adrian stopped in his tracks<br/>
'I use to live with my family, and we were self suficiant too. Then, I had to leave, and I've been alone ever since. The only diference is you live in a big castle and I am a traveler'<br/>
'hm. So it seems'<br/>
'still, do you really not plan on fixing the place or even keeping it clean? It seems too big for one person to handle the whole thing alone'</p><p>Alucard didn't want to seem desperated nor stupid.</p><p>'I know. I just... didn't get arround to it'<br/>
'hm. ...may I make you an offer?'<br/>
'...like?'<br/>
'how about I pay you in spice? I can hunt. We can sell the pieces we don't need and with that money  you could fix as many chandeliers that you need, maybe even hire some help. I am happy to lend a hand. Its the least I can do to thank your hospitality'</p><p>For a moment, Alucard was reminded of a story he had been told long ago, of a woman who walked  in, unafraid, and started proposing all this new ideas. They where good, its just that, the lord of the castle had needed a new angle to see them. To shed new light, like a ghust of wind.</p><p>Perhaps this is what he needed.</p><p>'very well' he said 'lets see if it works'<br/>
'Fantastic!' Alkay clapped his hands toghether 'How about you point me in the direction of my room and I start working for it?'</p><p>Adrian gave him directions 'I am afraid the guest rooms haven't been used or cleaned in a while... and some of them may have been occupied not long ago'<br/>
'I'll manage'</p><p>Alkay dissapeared in the direction indicated, and Adrian was, once again, left in solitary silence, in the wide space of the castle hall.<br/>
...it made the diference balantly obvious. He shoock his head and headed back out.<br/>
He had to cook for two.</p><p>After colecting the ingredients, he was interrupted in the kitchen</p><p>'do you mind if I help?'<br/>
Alkay had taken off his cape. Again, he awaited with a friendly smile.</p><p>'you can koock?'<br/>
'My father use to be a cook, in fact' he walked in, rolling up his sleeves and washed his hands<br/>
'And you learn a couple tricks when you live on the road'</p><p>He got to chopping vegetables and dropping them in a plate to later add to the pan.</p><p>'he use to?'<br/>
'while he was a sailor, yes. Then, when he met my mother, they settled in land. But we grow up with the stories of his journeys'<br/>
'a traveler, son of a traveler'<br/>
'ah, so it seems'</p><p>There was a nice, calm silence. It was very different than the lonely silence Adrian was used to.</p><p>'so, what do you think you would do, if you hired, say a cook and had even more time on your hands?'</p><p>Now that was a question. Adrian had grown fast, and everything seemed to happen even faster.<br/>
One day he was the spoiled son of a happy couple and he could do whatever he wanted. The next he was busy fighting, defending... and mourning. </p><p>'I... hadn't thought about it'<br/>
'I see. So, what did your father do?'</p><p>Right</p><p>'he was a scholar. He colected knowlege from all around the world and he studied himself... in this castle is kept the majority of it. ...with the addition of another great library under the ruins outside'</p><p>Silence. But very different this time. Alkay had stopped what he was doing and turned to him.</p><p>'I love books. I love reading. A- and I have an interest in medicine... do you think there is a chance I could take a look at your library?'</p><p>Adrian smiled. Another literate. Reminded him of someone.</p><p>'of course. As long as you stay, this is your home'</p><p>The wide smile on Alkay's face was contagious. He seemed to want to run up stairs and find the library himself. But he oviously retained himself out of politenes, to help cooking.</p><p>'I haven't had a nice book to read for the last months. I usually carry one with me, and when I finish it I trade it for another in the next town... but lately, seems like literature is not a priority in this land...'<br/>
'mh. You come from far away, don't you? How long ago did you arrive in the map?'<br/>
'a few moons. I had been here before, I do travel a lot. But it was so different. Monsters and chaos everywhere. Here I thought I had seen everything, it was even dificult to survive'<br/>
'but you didn't leave'<br/>
'to be honest, at least I wanted to know what whas happening. I asked in different towns, and the story seemed to change like the seasons: most towns where led by religious people claming to have the solution, even thoug things just kept getting worse. Then I heared somewhere that the church had murdered Dracula's wife, and he was taking his revenge in all of humanity... now things seem to have calmed down, but only a little: no more religious leaders. The mosnter atacks are not as deliverate as before, but they are still happening'</p><p>Alucard listened in silence. Then, he asked 'and what do you think of the whole thing?'<br/>
'well, at first it was a bit hard to believe that the monsters had a leader giving them specific orders, but after investigating a little, aparently Dracula had a wife who was bruned at the stake and an army of monsters that have been terrorizing everyone. It sounds like a civil war. Maybe we are in the last stages right now. Dracula's real enemy, that could be, the corrupt church, has been defeated, and his westes are not so agressive anymore. Of course, its just a theory'</p><p>'...it's quite right. You are just missing a bit of data'</p><p>Alucard pured himself some wine. He offered Alkay a cup and reclined against the counter.</p><p>'Dracula planned on exterminating the entire human race. He and his court where killed, and that's why the monsters are less organiced. Their master is dead, but they are still hungry for human flesh'</p><p>Alkay guarded silence for a few moments.<br/>
'When did he die? The news don't seem to have extended yet'<br/>
'...one month ago'</p><p>There was a pause, as the truth settled in. Alucard could hear the gears turning in Alkay's head.<br/>
He knew.</p><p>'you mean, at the same time as the master of this castle?'</p><p>Alucard looked at him</p><p>'You really didn't know who's castle this was?'<br/>
'you said it was yours'<br/>
'yes, after the death of my father, Dracula'</p><p>Alkay's eyes widened, and Adrian watched him take a deep, slow breath, taking it in.</p><p>'okay... let me get this straigth: This is Dracula's castle'<br/>
'yes'<br/>
'His wife died, he tried to kill everyone, and now he is dead'<br/>
'that is correct'<br/>
'and you, his son, enhireted it a month ago when he died'</p><p>Alucard noded and took a sip of wine</p><p>'...just to be clear, out of curiousity, what... what was your... posture during the whole thing?'<br/>
'...I had to kill my father. I couldn't let him commit genocide. With the help of a scolar and the last of the Belmonts, we defeated him'</p><p>Alkay let go an apreciative whistle. Then after a pause, he spoke again.<br/>
'the entire ordeal must have been hard on you. Im sorry'</p><p>Adrian was taken back. 'Thank you'</p><p>'I mean, I don't know what was your relationship with your father, but I understand, this things are never easy'<br/>
'...he was a good man, when he was happy. I loved him, and he loved us... he had lost his mind'<br/>
'my condolences'</p><p>He took another sip of wine. They let the silence set in again. And then the newcomer broke it:</p><p>'since you have been so honest with me, I should probably tell you something'</p><p>Adrian looked at him.</p><p>'...There is something I should confess. I will just beg that you do not be upset, tho I could understand...'</p><p>What could he be hiding? He had just arrived. Was there a reason why he shouldn't trust him?</p><p>'...remember the black wolf-dog you saw yesterday?'<br/>
'oh. Yes'<br/>
'...that was me. Im a werewolf'</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Where you come from</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrian and Alkay find they have quite a bit in common. Tho the newcomer reminds the dampir of someone else...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alucard stared at Alkay in silence. It didn't seem to be a joke.</p><p>'I heared about werewolves' he said 'they do not look like you, or like normal wolves'<br/>
'There are different types of werewolves. In fact, many argue that we don'r realy count. We are just a type of shapeshifter, and we are always in control'</p><p>Alucard tilted closer. Alkay had sligtly toasted skin, a bit of a crocked nose... and his eyes, thou not the same shape as that of the wolf, were the same color.</p><p>Dark ember, almost red in the dim light.</p><p>'you are the same animal I met yesterday?'<br/>
'yes'<br/>
'...but why? Why did you... say nothing?'<br/>
'well, you see, one can never trust a stranger. Sometimes people will be kinder to an animal than to a person. So it is a good way to judge one's character. If you wouldn't allow me to stay, I could allways linger about as a dog and beg for scraps until I am rested enough to go'</p><p>Adrian understood. He didn't know how to feel about it.</p><p>'Please dont be mad? I am sorry for decieving you, and you must understand it is dangerous out there. And I haven't lied to you, its been a hard journey and I am tired'</p><p>He wasn't mad, he decided. Alkay had been honest to him as soon as he felt safe. </p><p>Its fine. I am just curious... what kind of werewolf are you?</p><p>'my kind comes from the north. Far, far to the north. On the other side of the sea. Most of us are white and huge... many people call us dire wolves. Perhaps that's a better name for us, common werewolves are very different'<br/>
'A northen dire wolf... I read about you. They said you were inteligent, but they didn't say you were human'<br/>
'It is complicated, strangers don't understand... my people wear the pelt with honor. We call ourselves wolves. We say we are not humans with the ability to change, but we are actual wolves. Wolf and man at the same time'</p><p>Adrian took another sip of wine 'I see' he bet Trevor and Sypha would be excited to meet him: did Trevor know about this new type of creature? Had Sypha ever heard of it?<br/>
Nervermind right now.</p><p>Alkay let a little silence go by and then changed the subject.</p><p>'so' he pointed in front of him in the kitchen 'did you make those yourself?'</p><p>Shit</p><p>'...I did'<br/>
'Its not bad... if you had never crafter toys before. Would you like me to fix them up a bit?'<br/>
'wait, what do you mean?'</p><p>Alkay had taken Doll Trevor in his hands<br/>
'I see you used wooden spoons as arms... I could sculp actual hands from these... is this someone you know?'<br/>
'...its... a friend. Kind of'<br/>
'oh. I promiss to make him justice'</p><p>Adrian thought about it, but said nothing.<br/>
The dolls where such a personal thing... and he was letting Alkay change them? The truth is Doll Trevor could use a little stitching in his eye... and it was a little too ovbious that he had spoons for limbs. Adrian was pretty good at drawing, maybe even designing, but crafting was an entire different thing. This had been a great feat for him, but he knew they weren't half the quality of the ones in his room.</p><p>The ones his parents had made for him.<br/>
He had thought of how much time and effort had gone to the making of his toys after the couple had found he was coming...</p><p>He didn't want to think about it. He would let Alkay do.</p><p>...</p><p>Lunch went by nicely. It had been so long since Adrian had been eating alone, talking to himself for company. Alkay had a talent for keeping the conversation light and interesting and the food turned out very good.</p><p>After lunch Alkay took Doll Trevor to his room. To see it dissapear from the kitchen almost made Adrian regret his decision. He concentrated on what needed to be done and washed the dishes before heading upstairs.</p><p>He found Alkay in the library. Of course. He walked in to see what he was reading.</p><p>'I knew hygene was good for healing wounds... but acording to this, the romans already knew that you can transmit illness if you don't wash your hands between the treatment of patients. They didn't know why, but they knew it happened. And nowourdays we have actual doctors who refuse to wash their hands, or the wound... or worse!' </p><p>He put the book back in place and gestured to the entire wall covered in knowlege in the shape of a large bookcase.</p><p>'I undesrtand that most people don't know these things but at least doctors should be educated! ...Its such a pity that all this knowlege can't be shared'</p><p>That reminded him something.</p><p>'It was to be shared. My mother had planned to put it to good use. She studied here for years, but... her original idea was to extend it, and educate the people. Maybe, it was too ambitious for just one person'<br/>
'well, that depends...'</p><p>Alucard turned to him.</p><p>'it depends of the resources and organization one has, and the situation. For example, right now it would be easier: with the church down, there is a power vacuum. Maybe it would be the perfect moment to stablish science as the solution, and people wouldn't resist as much as, say, last year'<br/>
'...hum...'<br/>
'of course you would need an army of teachers and the buidling of several schools, and perhaps a small army to protect them form the enemies they may face...'</p><p>There was another little silence. Adrian's gears turned fast behind his eyes without him being able to stop them. So many new ideas. Actual plans to do something with what he had, like this man had pushed him into a river all of the sudden, and now it was impossible not to swim.<br/>
Was this how his father felt the moment Lisa came into his life? Was this why he had taken her so easily into his home?</p><p>Alkay kept admiring the enormous place.</p><p>'I could dedicate my life to study everything here... and I don't think I could retain all of it. ...I guess that's a privilege reserved for vampires' he smiled.</p><p>Adrian came out of his stupor. He smiled.</p><p>'im sorry, dampir, right?'<br/>
'yes, tho it is considered just another type of vampire'<br/>
'well, I think vampaires themselves are just another type of human'<br/>
'...excuse me?'</p><p>Alkay barely bated an eyelash.</p><p>'a way to tell to species apart is wether or not they can breed. For example, horses and donkeys, as similar as they look, they are diferent species: they are close enough to have offspring, bu it is sterile. Meanwhile, wolves and dogs are so close they can still have healthy descendance. This is becouse they are basically the same animal, just diferent varieties: the wolf is the wild version, the dog is a tamed breed. The pups get traits from both but they are basicaly the same thing.<br/>
If we follow this logic, vampires and humans are, tecnically, the same species. And it seems so: in these books there are recordings of dynasties that enlist the descendance and habilities of vampires and dampires and theyr human relatives the same as in any fully human or vampire family...'</p><p>Adrian felt cold. It hadn't occured to him. Dampirs where so uncommon, so rare, that they were often seen as...</p><p>'Im sorry, I meant no ofense'<br/>
'No. Its not that. It just... hadn't occured to me. It is interesting, thou'</p><p>Alkay smiled. 'makes you ask what makes a vampire, kind of'</p><p>A vampire is made when a human is turned by another vampire. Like the transmition of an ilness... but that couldn't be, right?<br/>
Oh, what would his mother say? He bet she would love to investigate the whole thing. She and Alkay would talk for hours...</p><p>He didn't want to think about that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Collection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrian Shows Alkay the belmont colection</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That same afternoon, while Adrian was out colecting food, the big black wolf came trotting up to him, wagging its tail, a big, beautiful pheasant on its mouth.</p><p>Adrian picked the seemengly untouched bird, its feathers barely roufled, from the wolf's mouth and placed it on the basket. Then he carassed Alkay's head before he realiced maybe that wasn't aproppiate. The wolf didn't seem to mind.</p><p>'we could sell the feathers, they can be very decorative. In fact, if nobody buys them we can store them and sell them later...' Adrian was growing used pretty fast to the wolf man's chatter and constant ideas. </p><p>A couple days later, Alkay brought home a huge buck with a beautiful crown of antlers. After getting Adrian's praise, he alone cut its head to sell apart, pelted the rest, and separated the meat in what they would store for themselves and what would be sold.</p><p>Right after, he threw the whole thing upon his back and left for the nearest city to make the sell.<br/>Adrian ofered to go with him, but he insisted it wasn't necesary, and left before it could get dark.<br/>While Alkay was gone, Adrian finished the entire bottle of whine, and only then realiced he was a tad nervous.</p><p>It had only been three days since he had a guest, but the diference was abismal. He really missed the guy if just for the return of the empty sensation of loneliness.<br/>He sure hoped Alkay was telling the truth and he could make the trip all on his own without accidents...<br/>He should have gone with him.</p><p>Adrian went to get another bottle of wine and realiced that, not only all the bottles were in good condition: all those that had been broken were gone.<br/>He looked around. No broken glass, no spider webs, even the wine board that had been trown down was standing on its place again.</p><p>Had Alkay been cleaning? Adrian felt a bit of guilt: he should have been the one to do that. He went for wine quite often, and every time he just avoided the broken glass and the cob webs, and would take the wine without bothering to do something as simple as picking up the broken glass.<br/>Its not like he didn't have time!</p><p>He needed to tell Alkay there was no need for him to clean anything, as soon as he came back...<br/>and, oh, when he came back, it was already night time.</p><p>'where have you been? Its dark already! And there are nightbeasts out there!'<br/>'its okay, Im a creature of the night myself. I am used to traveling in the dark'<br/>'but its dangerous'<br/>'I can defend myself. I have fended monsters before. I am a dire wolf, remember?'</p><p>Adrian sighed.</p><p>'I was just a bit worried, thats all'<br/>'I should have told you I'd be back late... oh, by the way. I got a good price for the buck! I already hired a metal worker and a carpenter to come take a look at the place'<br/>'what? Already?'<br/>'yes, I made them a good offer. Tomorrow they will have luch here. And before night I will escort them back to town. That is, if it is okay with you. I will take care of everything'<br/>'Its just... look, I have noticed you cleaned the cellar. You didn't have to do that. You don't have to do any of this'<br/>'oh, but I want to. You said this was my home, as long as I stay. I want to repay your kindness, and I  don't like avoiding broken glass and clutter whenever I move around, no ofence'<br/>'none taken'</p><p>Alucard sighed, in silence 'its just... I should have done it myself, but... for some reason, I didn't... Im sorry'</p><p>Alkay gave him a sympatetic smile.</p><p>'I know that feeling. Look, when my father died, I fell into a strange state of stupor. I didn't do much, jet I felt too tired for anything. And whatever that needs doing, I just kept leaving it for later. ...one day you wake up... and it's been months, and you've barely left your room'</p><p>Adrian was speechless. He didn't know Alkay's father had died, too, and he had just described what he didn't know how to put to words.</p><p>'My brother, the healing expert told me that sometimes people are like that after a great loss, or a traumatic event. To different degrees... and a big part of the solution is to have help. Its, just, not healthy to be alone like this'</p><p>He was talking about him. Adrian. He was trying to help him. How come Trevor and Sypha hadn't thought of that? How come they left him alone so soon, not considering to even help him rebuild his home?<br/>No. There was no use blaming them, he hadn't thougth of that either, and Trevor did gift him his own legacy... he couldn't judge them. He couldn't be mad at them for leaving, as much as it hurt.<br/>But Alkay had just bursted into his life all of the sudden with all this energy and ideas and activity, like a gust of wind clearing away all the cobwebs.</p><p>'...how long do you plan to stay?'</p><p>Alkay's expresion changed.<br/>'well, if possible, as long as you'll have me'<br/>'Im just asking becouse... you seem so invested in fixing the castle, like you wanted to... stay'</p><p>Alkay nodded slowly with a sad smile.</p><p>'I have been traveling for a long time, and I have nowhere to go. And I feel like I could do some good here. I want to help. See, having a project can be healing too'</p><p>There it was. Was he hurt too, in some other way? Maybe he needed this, as much as Adrian did.</p><p>...</p><p>The metal worker and the carpenter arrived the next day arround midday. Alkay wore a white shirt and a ponytail that made him look younger, like a whole new person. He did most of the talking, and he was friendly and polite and the afternoon felt like it was over too soon.</p><p>Just a week later the chandelier and every wooden broken thing in the castle had been repaired or replaced. It happened so fast, but not out of nowhere.</p><p>Alkay had taken to the task with entusiasm. He had rolled up his sleeves and explored the whole castle with a list, taking notes of all that needed cleaning or fixing and the things he could do himself and what needed to hire someone.<br/>He had cleaned and fixed what he could himself to keep busy and had gone on a hunting frency to pay for what needed to be paid.</p><p>The hardest part was the portal mirror room.<br/>The wolf searched all throu the castle for a box big enough to put all the small pieces in, and put it aside together with all the bigger pieces.<br/>When Alucard had told him it was magic this new light lit in his eyes and Alkay took it upon himself to look in the library for a way to restore the mirror's power.</p><p> </p><p>That afternoon, Alkay came down to dinner with a big, entusiast smile, and placed something in front of Adrian. The dampir had already grown used to his antics and took his time to look up, to find his doll of Trevor.</p><p>He gently took it in his hands, and inspected it.</p><p>The eye had been carefully swen back in place, the wooden spoons had been carved into cute doll arms with hands, and the legs were no longer two ovbious ladles, rather new stuffed pieces, black, to fit with the rest of the design, and in the vague shape of a toy leg.</p><p>Also, it had been re-sewn to ensure no hay got out. Even the mouth and hair had been held straighter.</p><p>'do you like it? I hope you like it, I wanted to preserve the original work...'<br/>'It looks like... profesional work!'<br/>'so you like it? Yes! Would you... like me to fix the other one too?'<br/>'I suppose it would be cruel to let her keep spoons for arms while Trevor's got actual hands now'<br/>'Trevor, uh? So that's his name. He is really cute'</p><p>Adrian looked up to him, astounded. Then he broke into a laught, unable to hold himself.<br/>'I mean, I don't know the real person these represent, but the toy is really cute'<br/>'I guess so. Thank you, for doing this. It is really good handiwork'<br/>'I am good at drawing. You pick things in life, you know'<br/>'seems like another thing we have in common. Thou I am good at drawing, but not so much at craftmanship'<br/>'well, the originall work was all yours. I just gave it a few finishing touches'<br/>'yes... the perfect touch.</p><p>This time Adrian was happy to return Doll Trevor to his place and see Doll Sypha leave, knowing that they would soon be reunited, once more looking like a pair, but improved.</p><p>...</p><p>He realiced very soon they could just talk for hours, the theme of the conversation shifting naturaly from one thing to another and, just as easily, stay in confy silence for hours on end.</p><p>The first time he took Alkay to the belmont library, he had been living there for a little while already. He had mentioned the library unther the ruins, but Alkay had been so invested on repairs and investigating the castle, and reading from Dracula's library it hadn't occured to him, there was an entire aditional space to show him jet.</p><p>And it was filled with books.</p><p>Books, and paintings, and parts from monsters, and magic (lots of magic stuff) and Alkay got so excited Adrian could just picture him in his wolf shape runing between the shelves like an excited pup's first day in the field.</p><p>He just... reminded him of Sypha so much! Both by his entusiasm and his interest in medicine and science... and everything, really.</p><p>'oh, we need to fix the entrance. You can't just leave this open like a well! The rain will ruin the paintings and fabrics and... oh, we could, eventually, with time, fix the Belmont manor. It could be fully dedicated to the maintenace of this place...'</p><p>Alekaid pulled out his notebook and started, again, taking notes of the things that needed be done. Most of it was wooden, so it wouldn't take that much...<br/>Suddenly, Adrian noticed there was too much silence. Where had he gone to?</p><p>He looked around for a bit and, turning a corner, he found Alkay standing in front of a glass.<br/>Between the glass and the wall there was a colection of stuffed animals. Extrange creatures, mostly.<br/>There was a strange, huge snake with two heads, one on each end, and a rare, large cat with a humanoid or monkey-like face, and a white fox with many tails, and many others.</p><p>Adrian came closer and saw that Alkay was standing right in front of a huge wolf. White, looking right back at him.</p><p>He felt a strange weight falling on the bottom of his stomach. ooking at the feet of the wolf, there was a note atached to its paw.</p><p>"Northen Dire Wolf" Adrian took a deep breath.</p><p>'Is that...?'<br/>'Yes. Im sure. I mean, its not the first time I see a pelt from one of my bretheren on display'<br/>'...does it happen often?'</p><p>Alkay turned to him</p><p>'People sell our pelts at a very high price, for we are hard to kill, but also, our pelts turn out to be big enough to make an entire coat or a cape from just one individual. Also, rare wolf. Its a big bushiness'<br/>'Im sorry'<br/>'yeah. Well, what else can we do? Maybe if in a future, knowlege is stended, people will be conscient that someone has to be murdered for them to have this'<br/>'They don't even know you are inteligent?'<br/>'They don't tell you that when making the sell. Its bad for the bushiness. Also, even if they knew, many wouldn't be stopped by that. You vampires are well known to be inteligent, and there are still vampire hunters'</p><p>'yes' Adrian tought for a moment. Alkay was looking around for something. He followed.<br/>'I found a colection of vampire and dampir skulls too. When I first saw it, I wasn't sure what to think of it'</p><p>Alkay found what he was looking for. A handy large knife, sharp enough.</p><p>'Some of them where... small'<br/>'Im so sorry'</p><p>Alkay went back to the glass, and opened it. Adrian realiced he was actually going for the wolf pelt.</p><p>'What are you doing?'<br/>'...Im going to give them rest. That is, if you don't mind'<br/>'uh, well... I don't know'<br/>'wouldn't you like to give rest to the little one's who's bones you found?'<br/>'...well, human bones are preserved too, sometimes, for the sake of science'<br/>'right... but what is disturving is how they ended here. In fact, your case seems more dramatic to me. See, this is an adult wolf. And we are educated as warriors. We worship death, we are not afraid of her. But you said you found the remainds of a child'</p><p>Adrian filed what Alkay just cassualy comented for later and tried to make a logical counterpoint.</p><p>'If we use that logic to remove things from this place, we may as well empty and destroy half the content of the room'</p><p>Alkay peeked around, then turned back to Adrian.</p><p>'I don't think so... not quite. Most of the tings here are weapons of information on paper, I have no problem with that. The remains are mostly from monsters, that's fine, too. I don't think it would be such a great loss if you decided to take away some of the most... say, polemic specimens.<br/>I mean, you are the owner of this place now. You get to decide. As for me...'</p><p>He pointed at the stuffed fox 'this creature...' then at the wolf '...is not the same as this creature. Isn't that bit of information worth adding to a place of knowlege like this?'</p><p>Adrian cross his arms, doubtfull.</p><p>'If it means that much to you, I guess you may. Tho, you say you would add something too? Like, put a note on the book?'<br/>'there's a book?' Alkay's interest perked again<br/>'yes, there is an index, somewhere'<br/>'oh. I will check that out later. ...and, I bet I can put something here to conpensate'<br/>'like what?'<br/>'I'll think of something'</p><p>Alkay used the blade to rip the pelt and take it from it mount, wich had a wooden base and stuffing of wool and fabric. Once he was done, he carefully folded it and then, he added to his notes, to come back to pick up the mess.</p><p>'Lets see that book!'</p><p>As soon as they got home, Alkay dissapeared to his room. He came back down mere minutes later and made a beeline for the Belmont library. Adrian had to follow.</p><p>The wolf came back to the same spot, picked up all of the material from the stuffing and placed, where once was the pelt, well displayed, a large piece of parchment. <br/>Adrian took one look at it, and he was impressed.</p><p>It was a big, realistic, detailed drawing of a northen dire wolf, standing next to a human figure for size reference. (the human had almendred eyes and darkish skin, the face, peinted with trival motifs. The animal reaching up to about the chest) it included a note at the foot of the page, carefully written for it to be clear.</p><p>Thou often depicted as just bigger and more inteligent than common wolfs, the northen dire wolf most commonly described in northen legend is humanoid. These people often live in clans, but they travel in wolf packs, and call themselves wolfs out of pride, but they are, actually, shapeshifters. </p><p>Alkay looked at his handywork with a critical expresson.</p><p>'what do you think?'<br/>'I think its very good to have been made in the span of twenty minutes'<br/>'good, that's good... is it okay here or should I put it somewhere else?'<br/>'no, I think it looks good in the background, sourraunded by the other figures'<br/>'I think I may need to change the entry of the book...'<br/>'...you'll think of something'</p><p>Adrian's mother worked with realistic drawings in books. Perhaps they could fill a book with those and free all the space from the vampire skulls...<br/>Maybe one day he'll think about it.</p><p>...</p><p>That night after dinner, while getting into bed, Adrian heared howling.<br/>It wasn't the first time that the night came with the sound of howling from the mountains, but he believed it sounded close.</p><p>He peeked throu the window, but could see nothing from here. The howl continued. It was long and deep... and, wait. It sounded like... a pattern? <br/>He got out, carrying a chandelier, and knocked on Alkay's room.<br/>No response. Maybe he went hunting? He is nocturnal after all.</p><p>The howling stoped. Was that him? Adrian had to check the library first, and remind the wolf not to stay up too late. But the library was desolated, so he went downstairs.</p><p>He opened the front door, to be met with silence.<br/>'Alkay?' no response. He looked around in the darkness, tried to sense his surroundings, but there was nothing, aside from a strange smell.<br/>He went back to bed.</p><p>...</p><p>Alkay greeted him the next morning with quantiful breakfast that included fresh meat and bread toasted in butter.</p><p>'oh. Last night's hunt went well, I see'<br/>'oh, did I bother you? Sorry. I had to... um, take care of something'<br/>'you needed to hunt in the middle of the night?'<br/>'I... disposed of the pelt, in a respectful way. And then I went hunting'<br/>'...you could have waited for daylight to burry it'<br/>'no, burned it. It was better at night'</p><p>He turned around, pan in hand, a casual smile on.<br/>'Its a wolf thing'</p><p> Adrian nodded. <br/>'I uh, think I noticed something'<br/>'like what?' Alkay nonchalantly added things to his plate<br/>'Like singing?'</p><p>Alkay stopped.</p><p>'or, I could be wrong'<br/>'uh, well. Maybe not'</p><p>Adrian gave him a tilted look.</p><p>'Like I said, its a wolf thing'</p><p>Adrian decided not to press on in that moment. Alkay seemed to be in a good mood and he didn't want to ruin it.</p><p>Alkay did not mention that, as much as wolves are known for howling, his people are known for turning those howls to singing. He didn't mention the singing mountains of the north nor the way his people see death, and how the ritual included trival paint, and music, and hunting, for it all represented the great cicle.</p><p>They were having breakfast.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Nap Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alkay reminds Adrian of simple pleasures</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was raining so hard you could't tell if it was still daytime or already after dark.</p><p>Adrian was spending more time in the library, reading again after so long, and walked past a sitting room, where he saw a light.<br/>He walked in to the sight of an empty room, with the sception of a lit chimeny and a dire wolf lying in the stone floor right in front of it.</p><p>Adrian chucled and came closer. He couldn't tell becouse his fur was already dry, but he would bet the wolf went outside to run under the rain just for the sake of it, and then came back in to warm up by the fire.<br/>Just... lying in the floor. How unceremoniously.</p><p>'what are you doing?'</p><p>For all response, Alkay lazily and slowly rolled up until he was in the exact same spot, the exact same position, but now facing Adrian in all his shameless furry glory.</p><p>He got a laught out of him.</p><p>He had the temptation of reaching out his hand and petting him... but should he?<br/>...it wouldn't be the first time, would it? Alkay had never complained before.</p><p>He tentatively, but casualy lowered his hand, and pressed down on the fur, and he was shocked.<br/>The layer of fur was so thick he could dip his entire hand on it and it just kept going.<br/>So thick and soft and... fluffy.</p><p>He got all the way to his skin and got just more fur. He couldn't touch the wolf's skin, just a sea of fur on his hands, becouse now he was trying with both his hands, and it was so warm and soft and it just kept going.</p><p>Adrian wanted to press his face against it. Now that's a pleasure he would never know. <br/>But just the fluffness of it all, and the dark, and the fire providing warm light and the rain outside just left him with no reason why he shouldn't let himself lower against it.</p><p>'so soft' he was now laying his upper chest and head against the wolf's side and back. Alkay had been lazily wagging his tail for a while now and they both just laid there for a minute.</p><p>Then, Adrian noticed the familiar sensation of sleep creeping in. He forced himself to take a sharp breath.</p><p>'I need to get up' but he dind't '...hmm... I do'</p><p>Alkay helped him by turning just enough to lick his face.<br/>Adrian was so shocked he just incorporated, and looked at him.<br/>Alkay let go a friendly wimp and did it again, insistently. Adrian scrumbled to his feet and wiped his face on his sleeves with as much dignity as he could retain. And he swore the wolf was giggling at him in wolfish.</p><p>'...gross. Do not fall asleep in the floor' he said as he walked out.</p><p>Alkay responded with a cheeky woof. And stayed where he was.</p><p>...</p><p>The next day it was sunny and warm and the birds chirped all throught the morning, busy making up for the day before.</p><p>Alucard walked outside with his basket, and Alkay run past him, stretched, and morfed into his wolf shape.<br/>It wasn't like he did. It wasn't like magic. It was more like a natural developement, like a tadpole groing into frog at fast pace, right before his eyes.</p><p>Alkay's shoulders clacked as they shifted into theyr new place (it sounded painful, but the wolf sighed with relief, like when you crack your nuckles) he fell on all four and sniffed the air, and the grass with calm joy.</p><p>'Well, that's a way to do it' comented the vampire.<br/>'You where not born a wolf'</p><p>Alkay's voice sounded like a distant echo, coming not from the animal's throat but directly from his mind.</p><p>'You... definetly are something else'</p><p>Alkay took it like teasing, and wagged his tail with a woof, and jumped towards Adrian playfully, but the dampir didn't move.</p><p>'You... want me to play? I... am busy'</p><p>Alkay contempled for a moment, before he had an idea and snatched the basket from Alucard's grasp, and trotted away.</p><p>'hey!' Adrian chased after him, only for the canine to trot arround playfuly, exagerating his pose.</p><p>Adrian waited for him to stop and look, expectant for his reaction, and then transformed into a wolf himself, like mist or smoke.<br/>He was a big, white wolf now, and Alkay jumped into a new position, seemingly more excited than shocked. He forgot the basket right away and came towards the other.</p><p>He was much taller, but Alucard was thicker. Alkay's ears went back in a polite gesture as he sniffed his friend, and then licked his chin.<br/>Alucard stepped back and turned his head away. That was werid, wasn't it? The black wolf woofed friendlily and jumped arround, trying to tempt the other to follow.</p><p>Adrian doubted.</p><p>'Come on' Alkay's voice echoed 'Just a morning walk, for a change'<br/>Adrian doubted, but then he aded a pleaseee, and a soft whine with it, and he had to oblige.</p><p>Alkay ran into the woods, panting like a happy pup and Adrian followed.</p><p>They run flying over terrain that would be a problem for a person or a horse, no exact direction in mind. Just the joy of runing. Alkay had his tounge out and only at times looked at his companion to make sure he was following.</p><p>Alucard hadn't run trhou the woods like this since he was a teenager and had just found he could shapeshift. But he had never run with another wolf.</p><p>Alkay suddenly turned right, up a slope that was slipery still. They were all wet when they got to the top, but he just kept going. It was a while before Alkay stopped. <br/>They were on the very top of a small mount and there was a little space without trees right in front of them. They could see the mountains arround covered entirely by forest.</p><p>Alkay howled. Long and deep. And he did it again before turning to Adrian.<br/>The white wolf tilted his head to one side. Did he expect him to howl too? And why? For what purpose?</p><p>Alkay howled again, and this time he was answered. A couple howls from across the valley, and a few more joining one by one. Soon, there was an entire chorus of howls coming from across the valley all together, and Alkay joined them.</p><p>Adrian felt a bit left out. Why were they doing this? But soon, as the noise continued, he felt the urge to rise his snout, and open his throat, and let go.<br/>And he did. Alkay turned to him for one moment with wide, happy eyes and howled short and low. <br/>Like a wellcome, just for Adrian. He then rose his nose again and howled long, and low, and beautiful.</p><p>They where like this for a couple minutes, and then Alkay trotted around Adrian and ran away.<br/>The dampir had to follow, thou he felt a pang at abandoning the activity.</p><p>Alaky ran down the valley and in a particular direction. It was tricky to run down the slope, filled with slippery stones and trees in the way, but for them it was a fun obstacle race.<br/>Alkay guided the other to a part of the stream he had never seen.</p><p>The water run down the slope and over a few stones covered in moss and other water plants. When they arrived a frog leaped away. Alkay jumped after it across the stream just for fun.</p><p>Then he licked some water right out of the stream. Adrian did the same.<br/>They drank the water, fresher than ever after the race, looking at each other from across the stream.</p><p>Then the black wolf looked up. His eyes chasing crows and squirrels acros the branches, and enjoying the sight of the light coming throu the leaves, projecting colors he couldn't see without his human eyes, and shades he could only as a wolf.<br/>He then trotted away, and alucard had to follow again.</p><p>Alkay trotted carelessly, now at an easy pace, his nose close to the ground, and when he reached a willow by the stream, he looked up and panted. Long, pink tounge hanging.<br/>Adrian looked. There was no prey nor funny little thing to bark at. But there was a large fungae up on the tree.</p><p>'That's god to make fire' Alkay's voice echoed 'If we take most of it, and leave a bit behind, it will grow again in time. But it will also be a bit of a relief to the tree'</p><p>before Adrian could decide to transform, Alkay was walking away again.</p><p>He followed him to the lowest part of the valley. Alkay stopped while still in the shade of the trees and looked around. Then he ventured further. He got to where the water acumulated in a small pond and stared into the water. Adrian followed.<br/>He looked into the water. Nothing. Then he turned towards Alkay. Nothing still. Just staring into the water, so close to the edge his front paws nearly touched it.</p><p>Adrian was starting to wonder if his friend could be having some kind of water related vision, when the black wolf started, slowly, to sit up, and then rose his front paws, keeping perfect balance on his hind legs, stare still lost on the depts of the water.</p><p>Suddenly, Alkay jumped high in the air, well above Alucard, and fell head first into the water.<br/>The splash hit Alucard in the face, and with his eyes opened. He shook, confused.<br/>Alkay didn't dissapear completly off the surface. After the splash, his tail and lower back were still in the air. Then he turned, and got his head of the water, a large fish on his mouth.</p><p>Well, that's a way to fish.</p><p>Alkay walked out of the pond and droped the fish at Adrian's feet, then he shook all the water, again, splashing Adrian, and then he grabbed the fish by the head, and shook hard to break it.<br/>He finished and presented the piece to him again.</p><p>Alucard could not speak, but he made a "you splashed me, twice"<br/>'Im so sorry your highness...' Alkay repeated that gesture, that was very much wolfish, with his ears lowered and licking the other's face, like that would help dry it. 'wait. You live in a castle. You are some kind of royalty, aren't you? What's your tytle?'</p><p>Alucard, again, could not speak while on his wolf form. He opted for tilting his head to the side and then huffing dissaprovingly.</p><p>'oh. Sorry. I kind of forgot... I do hope you are having fun, you know?'</p><p>He didn't know how to answer to that, so he just sniffed at the fish.<br/>It was big. Quite a catch. And Alkay had gotten it just in one move. He didn't have supernatural speed, but he had his methods. ...did other wolves fish like that?</p><p>He looked at the fish, tilted his head, and then pointed towards the pond. Alkay seemed to understand the question.</p><p>'Oh, that's a fox tecnique, actually. See, foxes can sense lemming under the snow, so they stand above it and wait and concentrate, and then they jump head first into it for the lemming. You have never seen it?'</p><p>Adrian had never left the castle, aside from excursions to the fair and the market and picnics with his parents. He had certainly never spied on a fox during winter.<br/>And he did not know how they hunt lemming.</p><p>'Anyways. Normal wolves behave just like normal wolves. But us wargos try to get the best out of it. We copy other animal's tecniques from time to time. My brother Layo for example, he perfected the roar of a bear!'</p><p>Alucard tilted his head. </p><p>'well, he presumes he also got the lion sound right. I can't confirm it, but I wouldn't argue with him. He happens to be the alpha'</p><p>Alkay picked the fish of the ground and turned around. Adrian took it as a cue to follow.<br/>The wargo didn't apear to need his mouth to talk, but aparently with it occupied, it just didn't feel natural to speak.<br/>They walked up another slope until they reached a formation of rocs bathed by sunlight.<br/>Alkay shook his fur again and lied down on the largest he could find, soaking the warmth of the stone, and leaving space enough for his companion.</p><p>Adrian stood next to him and contemplated the small valley in front of them.<br/>There was the little pond, and the stream feeding it, all crowned by the mountains covered in trees, and above it, taller than any of them, the castle.</p><p>The had walked quite a distance. He hadn't noticed until now.</p><p>'don't you do this from time to time? Just... this?'</p><p>Alucard looked at Alkay and back at it all. Then he sat down. The stone did invite to just rest and let the sun dry theyr fur. He lied down too, just lookign at it all.</p><p>'Its funny you know?' said Alkay 'you probably don't do this often enough, and I do it too much'</p><p>He had laid his head on his front paws, and stared at the world with eyes much older than he should be. Adrian wondered just how much that was, but in his wolf form, he couldn't ask.</p><p>A strong breeze blowed past them, and pushed the grass and the trees as it went on across the landscape. With their thick coats, it didn't afect them. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do at the moment, They could just let the sun dry their fur.</p><p>'You know, traveling so much, I've heared lots of stories... care to hear one?'</p><p>Alucard had no good reason to oppose. He tilted his head for the other to go on.</p><p>'a few years ago, I was following my usual route, at the end of winter. But that year winter had been harsh, and it lasted a bit longer. Now, my people are used to it, and we don't fuss over it, but there are territories where several feet of snow for a few plus weeks can be a problem.<br/>So I came across a great lake that I usually walk around... but that time, when I reached it, it was still frozen. So I doubted a little but I ended up taking the chance to explore, and I walked across.<br/>When I reached the other side, I also walked over the mountains, and suddenly I found myself in a new territory, quite secluded, and still covered in snow...'</p><p>...</p><p>Adrian woke up for no aparent reason. A relaxing breeze constantly humming by. The sun had moved, and their spot was now on the shade, but their coats kept them warm, so it was okay.<br/>...<br/>wait</p><p>He rose his head and shook it. He was still a wolf and he was laying in a rock in the middle of a pasture. Also, he had that weird feeling when you sleep too much or at an unusual time...</p><p>'Adrian, did you sleep well?'</p><p>It is then that Alucard realiced he had been lying against Alkay's wolf body. Pressed together. Maybe becouse there wasn't much space in the rock and he had dozed off listening to his story...<br/>Oh.</p><p>'Im sorry. You probably didn't want to fall asleep before breakfast. But I figured maybe you where tired, and chose to let you rest'</p><p>He looked up judgingly</p><p>'I think its about midday... we could have brunch'</p><p>Alucard didn't answer. Mostly becouse he could not speak. Alkay stood in all 4 legs, and he felt his abscense and how much he had been leaning on him, as much as the abscense of his warmth.</p><p>'I'll take you home now' he said, and he picked up the fish, to leap of the rock.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Shocking Findings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alkay finds out something that may complecate things. Alucard finds something even more so</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alkay heared little taps outside the door. Like steps, coming closer. They didn't sound like Adrian's steps, maybe he wasn't wearing his boots? It was the middle of the night.</p><p>It was not the first time he heared them, but it was the first time that it just so happen that he was right on the other side of the door, wide awake, trying to find a new book, and got distracted.<br/>He decided to find the source of the sound this time. What could go wrong?</p><p>He opened the door of the library and found himself face to face with Adrian, only he was not wearing his usual clotes. The dampir looked shocked. Alkay looked down at what he was wearing and found... it was only one shirt.<br/>As in, no pants. No boots, aparently no underwear. Just one long night shirt, with a deep v neck, and lace, that reached only as far as his thighs.</p><p>Was that meant to be or was Adrian missing part of the gown?<br/>He had no Idea what the typical night wear was for a nobleman in this parts, specially one who lived alone in a century-old castle... <br/>shit he was staring, wasn't he?</p><p>He looked back at Adrian's face. He still looked shocked. So probably did he.<br/>He should say something, but it felt like an eternity until he could finally mutter</p><p>'uh, good night'<br/>'...yes. ...ah, you are...'</p><p>Alkay was fully dressed. He even had his fucking cape on. Adrian seemed to avoid his eyes.</p><p>'...still awake'<br/>'yes, uh, I am nocturnal. So, to me its natural to spend part of the night quite active... well, you know I nap a lot'<br/>'I noticed'<br/>'...and you? Um, vampires are even more nocturnal than wolves, so...'<br/>'I am only half vampire. I enjoy the daylight, so I like to keep a... daily routine'<br/>'I see'<br/>'I just couldn't sleep'</p><p>A silence followed. And of course, this time it was a deep ass thick unconfortable silence.<br/>Alkay could only repeat to himself -don't coment on the shirt don't coment on the shirt- and pray in silence -please tell me he doesen't have the vampiric gift of telepathy- until Adrian, telepath or not, was so embarrased, that he just turned away.</p><p>'I uh, should go back to my room'<br/>'Um, may I suggest an infusion with honey?'</p><p>Adrian only nodded as a response, while he walked away.<br/>Alkay noticed too late that he was still staring at his form, walking away only half covered by the loose, short night shirt.<br/>Those where some loong ass legs.</p><p>Oh shit.<br/>Now he couldn't sleep either.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p>"good morning! Did you manage to sleep last night?" would that be a bit too much?<br/>No it wouldn't. It would be the kind of thing that he would usually say.... had he not had... last night's expirience.<br/>-... its gonna sound weird regardless what you say becouse last night you where fully dressed and he was half naked, and you got him like a deer on the torchlights, and then you went straight to bed and fa-</p><p>'UUUUUUHGH' he interrupted his own thoughts with a loud groan and decided that he would have breakfast as fast as possible and go kill something in the woods to distract himself, becouse it was going to feel odd no matter what.</p><p>Then is when Alucard arrived in the kitchen, pretending he didn't hear him groan while coming downstairs.</p><p>'Morning'<br/>'oh, good day Adrian. Did you manage to sleep last night?'</p><p>That wasn't so bad. It even sounded natural.</p><p>'yes, a little. At least'</p><p>The silence that followed wasn't so thick. Almost as confy as usual.<br/>That wasn't so hard.<br/>But of course, it wasn't all.</p><p>Alkay went into the woods as soon as he finished his plate and ran as fast as he could across the trees. When he wanted to realice he was panting, and on the other side of the creek already.<br/>He took the chance to refresh, and think.<br/>He should have known. He should have seen it coming.</p><p>He was too expirienced to lie to himself about it. <br/>He was atracted to Adrian.</p><p>He had had lovers before and he knew the feeling, and how stupid it would be to pretend it wasn't so. And he should have seen it coming, becouse Adrian was a gorgeous young man, misterious, but kind as soon as you cared to listen, and he was inteligent and even had an edge of humor sometimes.</p><p>Also, there was a factor that Alkay knew very well as to ignore it.</p><p>He had a protective thing. As in, a thing for protectiveness.<br/>May it be his pack instinct? Or his daddy issues? Id didn't matter. Adrian was so lonely and lost in that big cold dark mansion, and he had been struck by tragedy so little ago, and... Alkay wanted to protect and reasure him and help him put everything together and make him feel better.</p><p>...he was lonely too. That was another factor. <br/>He should have known.</p><p>But what could he do? He couldn't tell the lad how he felt, not out of shyness, but of the very real possibility of him having to leave, and leaving Adrian alone in the ruins of his home. He ovbiously wasn't ready to deal with everything alone yet...</p><p>-of course, he needs you to help and protect him...- fuck.<br/>Fucking protective feelings</p><p>He shook his head and jumped into the river. The cold shock helped him feel more secure.</p><p>Feelings or not, when he arrived in the castle, it had been filled with garbage for a month, and Adrian had been obviusly desolated. He was usualy lonely, but he was conscient of it, and knew how to handle it. Adrian hadn't even begun to consider cleaning the broken glass from a room he steped in often.</p><p>And there was the project.<br/>Projects are good. Even for people who are healthy. Alucard's father had been a scolar. His mother wanted to help and educate people. Adrian ovbiously liked the idea of following on her steps, but he hadn't acted on it.</p><p>-he needs me- Alkay told himself. Maybe not him, just someone to help, to guide, to keep him grounded. He was a good influence. He could help, wanted to help.</p><p>But he wouldn't be a good influence if he jumped onto his bed. No. He couldn't possibly try to seduce him. It wouldn't be... healthy.<br/>It wouldn't even be fair.</p><p>Adrian was still healing. He couldn't complicate things even more.<br/>And he had met him so little ago.</p><p>He had felt guilty last night in bed, thinking of Adrian with his stupid long legs on that stupid long shirt...</p><p>So. That was his only option, was it? To hold back and pretend everything was normal, at least for the time being.<br/>Of course.</p><p>...</p><p>Alkay noticed a rare scent. He turned right back on his tracks.<br/>...human. ...and it mooved towards the castle.<br/>His first reaction was to howl, but he knew now Adrian didn't understand howling beyond its most basic form. He still howled loud and insistent, in hopes that the vampire would suspect something was up.</p><p>He ran back to the castle... but stayed in the cover of the bushes.</p><p>Adrian was walking into the woods, carying a bucket.<br/>Of course. Off to fetch water, again.<br/>Alkay howled, again. Being so close that should send a message.</p><p>At one point Alucard walked past him, and stared in his direction, but kept moving.<br/>So he knew. Good. Alkay kept moving with the care of a wild animal. He was part of the woods, and he would be hard to spot. He watched Adrian from a safe distance.<br/>The dapnir reached the creek, and kneeled to fill the buckets. Then Alkay heared them. There was two of them, at least. One on each side, a few meters behind.</p><p>He moved to his right, of to find the first one. Adrian took his sweet time to catch the other.</p><p>Alkay moved as carefull as he could, drawing a wide circle, until he spotted his objective.<br/>A young girl. Asian, dressed like a hunter.<br/>The wolf got as close as he could without alerting her and stayed down.</p><p>Then, it happened fast:<br/>When she took another step towards Adrian, he growled, loud.<br/>She flinched and saw him, all of the sudden, crouching.</p><p>Adrian heared his growl and used it as a signal to jump towards the other intruder.<br/>An arrow flew towards him, wich he caught mid air in his hand.<br/>He pushed the boy against a treetrunk and held him there, by the neck.<br/>He snapped the arrow in two with the one hand.</p><p>The girl drew a knife from her waist. A tanto. Japanese, then.<br/>Alkay held his position, but got ready to bite that hand, and drag her to the river if needed</p><p>'I will not be hunted' said Alucard, giving the boy space snough to talk back<br/>'we are not hunting you! She was going to talk to you. I was covering her!'</p><p>He rose his voice</p><p>'if she wants to stay alive, she will not fight the wolf'</p><p>Her voice came back from across the trees.</p><p>'He's not giving me a choice!'<br/>'back off, both of you'</p><p>She saw then the wolf, quite literaly, walking backwards until he was out of pouncing distance. Then he ran to join the dampir, who had just let go of the archer.</p><p>Alkay sniffed the stranger and kept an eye in the girl as she came closer.</p><p>'You are The Alucard' she said.<br/>'the what?'<br/>'The Alucard. We need your help'<br/>'...I am not The anything'</p><p>She took a moment to answer.</p><p>'Adrian Tepes, The Alucard, the anti Dracula'<br/>'Please, we need your help'<br/>'Just call me Alucard. Who are you?'<br/>'I am Sumi, this is Taka. We hunt vampires. But not you, real vampires'</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Interesting Arguments</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrian and his guests discuss what to do now</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alkay would like to play on them the same trick he played on Adrian when he first arrived. It could be very useful to have an advantage like them not knowing he was a wolf, yet, these were their guests, so, he let the chance go.<br/>He walked right behind them without muttering a word until they were walking into the castle.</p><p>'This place is... huge' Taka gasped<br/>'you guys should have seen it with all the broken glass and the chandelier on the floor'</p><p>Both newcomers jumped as they turned back. Alkay made a show of smiling casually and kindly.</p><p>'Wellcome'</p><p>Sumi was the first to talk to him.</p><p>'you... can't be the wolf'</p><p>Alkay looked at himself like checking on a mirror</p><p>'But I am'<br/>'He is a werewolf. You heared of them?'<br/>'Uh, you mean like a... wolf spirit?'<br/>'Exactly!' Alkay pointed at her like she just solved his riddle 'Funny enough, japanese legends of fox and wolf spirits descrive my people much more accurate than the stories in these parts'</p><p>Taka and Sumi looked at each other. Alkay decided it was an unsecure look. He understood, it was a lot to take in.</p><p>'You guys had a long journey. Would you like some food?'<br/>'I will go get the wine' </p><p>With that, Alucard left them alone. Alkay guided the newcomers to the kitchen.<br/>The moment he turned his back, they where staring at the hand made puppets. He suppressed a giggle. At least they did not have spoons for hands and straw coming out of the sides anymore. They could pass for peculiar decoration.</p><p>Alucard was still midly embarashed when he came with four cups and a bottle of whine.</p><p>'Don't look at those' They sat at the table 'you have seen the state of my home'<br/>'It... wasn't what we expected'<br/>'It was worse, after the battle'<br/>'It must have been a glorious battle'</p><p>Alucard looked down at his reflection in the cup</p><p>'mostly just dessperated and sad'</p><p>Alkay hadn't been there. He doubted it was any more desperated and sad than any other battle in war: three warriors had bested Dracula's entire court! Jet, he could tell Adrian didn't want to discuss that. Sumi must have noticed too, for she changed the subject.</p><p>'what exactly happened to the mechanism that moves the castle?'</p><p>Alucard pointed to one of the puppets</p><p>'she melted it'</p><p>Alkay smiled</p><p>'you didn't tell me that. Also, you guys know about the castle's hability to travel?'</p><p>Sumi took a moment to respond</p><p>'it is the most... peculiar aspect of Dracula's castle. A fortress that can move. We are... fascinated'</p><p>There was a small silence. Everyone was waiting for Alucard to explain something else about the famous mechanism, but he merely took a moment to breathe and then declared</p><p>'nevermind. So. You were part of the court of this vampire you call Cho'</p><p>The couple explained the situation they lived in as slaves in her court. It seemed like she was a sadist, taking pleasure on showing off her power over all the rest, even allowing a hunter to fight her in front of all them. Sumi descrived a lifetime of hopelessness as toys of the vampire queen.</p><p>It hit a little too close home for Alkay's taste. Taka then explained how they killed Cho's entire court and freed the humans withing days of her departure.</p><p>'that is admirable' he said 'I understand you where her human guards?'<br/>'like I said, she didn't need guarding, but it amused her to have a human court and guards'<br/>'...and then you bested her whole court. What happened next?'<br/>'we all ran away, but we knew Cho would always come back' <br/>'if she is truly dead, then another vampire will take her court over. And our freedom will mean nothing'</p><p>Sumi looked over at Alucard</p><p>'we need a friend, Alucard'</p><p>The dampir took another sip of his cup.</p><p>'you need instruction. One or two new weapons. Perhaps a little magic?'</p><p>Taka seemed thrilled</p><p>'Magic! Really?'</p><p>Alucard smiled</p><p>'Magic. What do we think?'<br/>'I think it won't be enough' </p><p>Said Alkay</p><p>'in my opinion, coming all the way here chasing after the montruous Cho was not a good idea, no ofense. You two are, right now, the best and most acomplished vampire killers of Japan. If you wanted to protect it, you should have stayed there'</p><p>'but just the two of us could never compente with an ancient vampire like Cho, or her army. We needed Alucard'<br/>'if I were you I would have stayed and teached people to fight back. The more the better. You could have sent someone else to find help'<br/>'like who? Who could defend themselves all across the world to deliver a message?'<br/>'I don't know, perhaps a small group of warriors? Nevermind. I recognice the situation is complicated one way or another. In fact, it isn't any better in these parts'</p><p>Adrian nodded and poured himself more wine</p><p>'the power vacuum left by both Dracula and the church has the entire country and beyond in shambles. You may have noticed the monsters in the way here'<br/>'we... did'<br/>'what is your point?' asked Alucard</p><p>'It won't be enough to train these two' he pointed at the couple 'the whole world is filled with monsters, rouge vampires, and worst of all, crazy humans!'</p><p>He took a sip of wine. The other three looked at each other</p><p>'whoever becomes powerfull within the next year will mark the beggining of a new era. The four people who are sitting right here right now may be the best chance the world has: the heir of the vampire king, two of the best vampire hunters of the world, and, I guess, me, who appreciates the thousands of years worth of knowlege within these walls'</p><p>Alkay turned to point back at the two puppets behind him</p><p>'if we manage to recruit Adrian's friends over there, then we might have a good shot, but we need more people'</p><p>He let the information sink, while he took another sip of wine. Sumi and Taka turned to Alucard, who was, aparently, thinking.</p><p>'...lets not get ahead of ourselves. I want to see what I have to work with first, with you two'</p><p>Alkay nodded. After all, it was Adrian's castle, and he had the last word.</p><p>...</p><p>The couple was granted one of the many huge empty rooms in the castle. Before they left, Alkay took something from the kithcen and gave it to Sumi.</p><p>'you may want to take a bath. The castle has hot water. If you need help figuring it out, don't hesitate to ask'</p><p>Sumi looked down at her hand. She smelled it. It was a lemon.</p><p>'...what am I supposed to do with this?'</p><p>Taka eyed it suspiciously</p><p>'well, you see... it does wonders for your hair. You put the juice in a glass and pour it on you hair... and it clenses it'<br/>'clense it? Is it some kind of... costume arround here?'</p><p>She looked at Alucard. He shrugged.</p><p>'No, well. Its a costume I got from traveling arround'</p><p>He didn't want to say it in front of Adrian but there was no way arround it, was there?</p><p>'it rids your hair from parasites. Things like fleas. You take a bath, pour the lemon juice on your hair, let it settle for a while, then wash it off and comb your hair. It works pretty good'<br/>'...you have it down to a system' said the dampir</p><p>There it was</p><p>'Well, its a very healthy costume I developed in my journeys, it also makes your hair pretty and smells good'<br/>'...well, I don't recall finding any lemons on my morning strolls... how much did these cost you?'<br/>'Uh, I can't recall...'</p><p>Taka snorted at that</p><p>'Here I was afraid you would try to eat us or something, and you are sharing with us your potion of beauty'<br/>'You are very kind' Sumi said.<br/>'It is not really that! Is just... healthy, you know, we don't want the entire castle crawling with... blood sucking bugs'<br/>'...is that an innuendo? Should I be ofended?'<br/>'Adrian... you are doing it on purpose, aren't you? I didn't know you had it in you'</p><p>The dampir didn't dignify that with a response. He took a sip of wine to hide his smile.</p><p>'still better than being eaten' Said Taka, and Alkay saw the ocasion to change the issue</p><p>'Oh, don't worry about that, see, everyone's scared of being eaten, but us wargos don't eat people. Aparently it is unhealthy, so we reserve it for emergencies, and even then it is frowned upon. When we kill someone we just... maul them'</p><p>There was a small silence in the room. Adrian breathed deeply and reminded himself that his father use to impale people.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Questions, questions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alucard tries to train the duo.<br/>Alkay disagrees with his methods.<br/>He also has some questions for the couple...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>'you know I should probably spar with them first, given that you are a vampire and have super speed'<br/>
'I want to see what they can do'<br/>
'also you gave them straight, european swords... when they probably use the japanese kind'<br/>
'Alkay, let me do'<br/>
'okay, okay, as you say'</p><p>The wolf lied under a tree and contempled the three of them as they sparred. Taka complained he would perform better with his weapon of choice.</p><p>'I agree' he mentioned again, from his spot in the shade. Alucard ignored him.</p><p>Sumi instantly proved much more habilidous with the sword. She could not only defend, but gain terrain. Taka followed her lead. Together, they were a formidable contrincant, but Alucard was still too fast, and his sword, acordingly to his habilities, too long.</p><p>Sumi complained.</p><p>'why is your sword so long? I can't get close!'<br/>
'you want to get close?'</p><p>Alucard blocked her sword and got close to snarl at her with his fully bared fangs.<br/>
Taka used the chance to atack from behind, but again, Alucard was too fast. He sent Sumi's sword flying, and blocked Taka.</p><p>'never let a vampire close. I am half vampire. Half of me wants you to get close enough to bite off your throat'<br/>
'thats why I have a bow and arrows'</p>

<p>'exactly!'<br/>
'Alkay, enough'</p><p>The wolf lowered his head. This was Adrian's call, he repeated to himself. He could advice, but he was not the one to teach the pair.<br/>
Sumi saw this distraction as a chance, and she played a dirty trick on Alucard: she kicked him in the but! Quite literaly!</p><p>Just the shock of it gave Taka time to get both swords and block Alucard. Then Sumi jumped on his back. She had no weapons, she just tackled him to the ground, and just then Taka lost his balance and they all were suddenly sprawled in the ground, laughting.</p><p>Now, Alkay was impressed.<br/>
Sumi was lying on top of Alucard, making jokes and demanding lunch. Taka, too, laughted and complained he was hungry.</p><p>Uh. Werent... japanese people usually very reserved? Most asian seemed to be, he knew from experience. These too had known Alucard for a day, and they were froliquing in the grass laughting with him and demanding food. That was... odd, for japanese...<br/>
He shook his head. He didn't know these two. Nor what they had been throu. They spoke the common language, they had travel a long way to get there. For all he knew, regardless of their past in a Japanese court, they where travelers and they appeared to be very open.</p><p>The whole situation kind of reminded him of a northen wolf family at lunch, with the joung hunters asking the matriarch to go hunting with them. Later, Alucard even gave the girl a piggy back ride! That was a wolf thing...</p><p>It... felt a bit odd, not being part of that. Oh, but Adrian's smile, it was brighter than the sun.</p><p>...</p><p>The silence of the empty halls of the castle was disturved from the distance, by the steps of the couple. They wondered in the dark, carying a hand chandelier. From time to time, the echo of their steps was acompanied by the sound of their vocies, as they discussed one detail or the other.<br/>
They did not hear the steps of a third aproaching</p><p>'Are you two not tired?'</p><p>They flinched and turned back. In the dark, only Alkay's eyes reflected the dim light of the candles, red, shining, trembling reflections. Only when he walked closer the darkness revealed the rest of his shape. He was in his human form, thou it hadn't seemed so at first sight.</p><p>'We... are just exploring the castle'<br/>
'right. I spent weeks exploring the castle when I first got here. But only after sleeping for a few days. It had been a long journey'<br/>
'I... couldn't sleep' said Taka. Alkay smiled at him.<br/>
'I can't blame you. So, wich parts of the castle have you seen already? There's plenty of armories and libraries, so even after you've visited every room, you can still discover more'</p><p>Sumi and Taka looked at each other and then to the wolf. He kept walking, and they followed, by his side.</p><p>'you... how long have you been here?'<br/>
'A few weeks already... now that I think of it, maybe its closer to two moons by now. Time flies by when you are entertained'<br/>
'entertained? You mean, with Alucard?'<br/>
'oh, not like that, see, when I arrived here the castle was in quite a deplorable state. Adrian did what he could with what he had, but he... left some things for the dust bunnies'</p><p>The couple looked at each other again.</p><p>'...dust bunnies?'<br/>
'The castle needed some... reforming, I took to it as a new excercise, and it was entertaining, after so long just traveling and hunting on my own'<br/>
'You come from far away, then. Where, exactly?'<br/>
'North. Far, far up north, from the other side of the sea, where the weather turns cold'<br/>
'and why did you come here?'<br/>
'So many questions. I am a traveler. I travel a lot. It just so happens it was the first time I found the land I was exploring crawling with monsters and I ended up finding refuge here. But how about you? Japan is so far away! You came here alone? How long was the journey? You couldn't possibly cover it in three or four moons'<br/>
'its a long story...'<br/>
'I love long stories. You can exchange yours with other travelers. I bet it was quite an adventure'<br/>
'it was... dangerous and exausting, and filled with traps and... monsters'</p><p>Alkay registered in their voices a weight that he recogniced from past battles that take a tool not only in the body. There was a small, pregnant silence.</p><p>'I encountered plenty of those myself. Its a good thing that you two are such skilled warriors. Speaking of wich, may I ask, how was your life in Cho's court? You were obviously trained and you managed to wipe her entire court'<br/>
'That is... complicated'</p><p>Sumi and Taka kept silent, and used the excuse of opening a new door and peaking inside to avoid the question. Alkay took some time before he though of another question, still related to his doubts.</p><p>'You seem like a lovely couple. Where you married, or...?'</p><p>The couple turned, in silence, and looked at him and then at each other. It seemed they either didn't know what to say, or didn't want to say anything at all.</p><p>'...I don't mean to intrude'</p><p>Sumi was the one to respond.</p><p>'Im sorry, we are tired and... its a lot to take in...'<br/>
'of course' a silence, with its pause 'I... perhaps I should let you be'<br/>
'we didn't want to be rude'<br/>
'no, sometimes I forget not everyone is nocturnal' </p><p>-nice way to redirect the subject!-</p><p>'...I will just advice you to go to bed and get some rest, eventualy. And don't forget to ask if you need anyting'<br/>
'we will'</p><p>He smiled and nodded and got out of there. He couldn't judge them for not wanting to speak of delicate matters, nor even for not trusting a wolf.<br/>
They just... needed time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now, I know the last few chapters have been short, and followed the events in the show very closely but I promiss soon we'll get another wolf-centered chapter</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. speaking of...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Since the couple arrived, Adrian is busy. Now that he has some time, Alkay takes him for a walk to talk...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So! sorry for taking so long! life got in the way...<br/>This chapter is longer and includes the return of bonding and dialoge!<br/>Soon there will be an increase in action<br/>Hugs!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alucard woke the pair early to take them to the Belmont vault. Of course both where tired and sleepy, after last night shenanigans. Taka complained the most... he was not a morning person.</p><p>Alkay was just thinking that it sounded kind of cute... when Sumi mentioned the engine that moves the castle, again.<br/>
Uh.</p><p>'I am not going anywhere, Sumi. The castle has moved for the last time. I have places to guard'</p><p>It seemed definitive.<br/>
They arrived at the vault entrance and used the lift to go down... Alkay had praised Alucard's craftmanship when building the lift, but he was still thinking of a propper cover for the entrance: it just seemed like a waste and a risk to let the rain ruin the wood, paintings and fabrics of the entrance, and anyone who happened to wander in.</p><p>Alucard pushed the door open, and activated the lights. The pair was astonished.<br/>
The electric lamps seemed like magic to them. That was nice, they could work with that! Alkay himself only knew the basics of it, but he was sure there could be so many uses for electricity... </p><p>'...and the lighting lamps? Could be lighting a weapon too? Could you make lighting kill a lot of people at once?'</p><p>...and he had to open his mouth and ruin it.<br/>
Alkay had to fisicly bite his tounge to stop himself from making a joke. He knew his brothers wouldn't hold themselves. ...aparently that was just Taka. young, funny, not very careful with his words.</p><p>Alucard looked over his shoulder, dismissive, as usual by now.</p><p>'lets start small, shall we?'<br/>
'of course'</p><p>That was Sumi. Now, she knew how to use words: she changed the matter by remarking how gratefull they were for Alucard's generosity. But he didn't drop the issue.</p><p>'Taka, you need to understand I am not just passing down ways to kill people'</p><p>Taka explained himself then: he didn't get much sleep out of worry. Adrian seemed to understand. Once again his face was bright with a small smile and hope.<br/>
Alkay was quiet the entire time.</p><p>...</p><p>A new though grew on the back of his mind. Alkay did try to fight it, but eventually realiced it was futile, and let it sink, and examined it.</p><p>He did not like Sumi and Taka.<br/>
His pack mentality told him that, even if he didn't like them, he should still make an effort to get along with them, for the benefit of everyone.</p><p>It couldn't be hard, they did try to be nice, at least in front of Alucard.</p><p>Contrary to popular belief, manipulation is not inherently wrong. It is a very valuable, natural tool, and every good teacher, leader or parent should know at least the basics by intuition, to keep their followers, children or pupiles motivated. The problem is when it is used for abuse.<br/>
He couldn't judge the two so fast. Yes, it seemed like they were manipulating Adrian a little bit, but it was so subtle, they simply tried to keep him happy becouse he was the lord of the castle and that was only logical.<br/>
Adrian himself was making it too easy for them. The poor thing was simply starved for companionship! It was like watching an accident in slow motion. Like seeing a man, carying a jar of fine mead, walking into a frozen patch of water.</p><p>And telling the man 'careful...!' and hearing in response 'no, I got it' and just... watch.</p><p>-they will figure it out, eventually- he told himself -it will sooner or later come down to a big argument, or many little arguments, or else it witll gradually come to a short of compromise-</p><p>He could almost hear his older brother's cheeky voice behind his left ear </p><p>'you are not just going to sit and watch, right? You will have to join the game... see what makes them tickle. You are curious about Taka... that is, unless you want to make a move for Aaadrian'</p><p>The asshole. He was supposed to be the smart one. Of course he would notice, and tease him 'til he admited that he liked Taka's ondulated hair and freakles. </p><p>-he is too young for me, and he is with Sumi. Also he doesn't know how to use his tounge-<br/>
'you could always teach him that...'</p><p>It was still better than his other brother's advice. He could hear it clear:</p><p>'nah, you should break the ice with a joke! Roar behind them when they think they are alone, keep them in their tip toes...'</p><p>...he was, too on his left ear. It was very unbalanced. His sister could sit on his right ear, but she was younger than him, and barely gave advice, and his father...</p><p>He stopped on his tracks. He missed them so much, and he didn't know what to do.<br/>
What would his mother do?<br/>
... Oh. For some reason, the image of his mother on this ocasion appeared in his mind with war paintings on her face.<br/>
Well, she was a warrior.</p><p>He thought of the pair. There was something else that seemed... odd.<br/>
They wanted something with the engine. It was the very thing they asked when they came and they insisnted on it though Adrian's negative response.<br/>
Was that enought to doubt them? ...what would GreySam really advice had he been here? What would mother do?</p><p>-listen to the wolf, Al- he remembered, what any member of his family would say -trust the wolf, Al-</p><p>He shook his head and went for something simple and easy: if he wanted Adrian's atention, he would have to use something the dampnir wanted. Manipulation 101. Not necessarily negative.</p><p>He could think of something...</p><p>'Adrian' he casually found him when walking into the kithchen 'we are running out of herbs'<br/>
'...wich herbs?'<br/>
'oh, anything from rosemary to garlic. We are simply runing out of it. And fish. And fresh fruits...'<br/>
'I see...'<br/>
'we have enough for lunch and dinner today, I think. We have plenty... rice and meat'<br/>
'yes, you make sure of that. But the garlic... I usually get it'<br/>
'well, you've been busy with the couple. Maybe now that they've seen the library you will have a little more time'<br/>
'they don't bother me'<br/>
'oh, Im not complaining. It is exciting having someone new around! Its just... I kind of miss your company... a little?'</p><p>He felt like that last statement was a bit of a stretch, tho he considered they were close enough for a little joke here and there. Adrian's face confirmed it as a win: he seemed a little shocked, but pleased, to know that Alkay may simply crave his company.</p><p>'what do you say to a little expedition, see if we can collect anything fresh for lunch?'</p><p>Adrian smiled. Now that smile, was priceless.</p><p>Adrian and Alkay took each a little basket. Alkay explained to him that, where they came from, they would use a short of saddle bag adapted for the wolf body, or even a sled.</p><p>'I will make sure to craft something for the next time. It will be much more confortable than carrying these on the mouth... thou, there may be another option...'<br/>
'what would that be?'<br/>
'I could carry you. If you want to try'</p><p>Adrian gave him a look. Now that Alkay was starting to know him well, he could tell it was a curious look.</p><p>'where I come from, its a common practice, to carry someone on your back, like when you ride a horse'<br/>
'I... see. The legends of vikings riding wargos... are they based in fact?'<br/>
'some are. You don't have to try...'<br/>
'no, Im curious. That way you can stay a wolf and I can walk to pick herbs or climb a tree at any moment. If you don't mind'<br/>
'not at all'</p><p>Now, wolf people do carry companions on their back out of practicity, but you don't let someone you don't trust on your back. In fact, most times the one riding you would be a sibiling, a close friend... or a lover. Alkay tried not to think of Adrian's legs around his flanks, of his fingers digging in his fur, or his voice right above him. He tried to concentrate on something else.</p><p>Adrian, however, found that riding a wolf was not at all like riding a horse: Alkay was big and strong enough to carry him, but the proportions were not the same: his body stood lower, closer to the ground, and his rithm and movements were diferent. Adrian could tell some practice, balance and strenght would be usualy needed. Of course, him being part vampire solved the whole issue for him. He still had ro remind himself to keep his long legs well flexed at all times.</p><p>They set off the same way they had gone the last time, decided to collect the mushrom they had found, and anything in the way, and perhaps some fish.</p><p>'May I ask?' Adrian spoke little after they entered the woods 'how did you get your scars?'</p><p>Alkay had many, but the most notizable were on his right ear, neck and face.<br/>
The first two where usualy covered by his long hair, and they were all old and not so ovbious anymore. But on his wolf form, they were a little easier to spot, in spots were fur did no longer grow the same, and the skin had a bit of a different tone.</p><p>There was a deep cut across the tip of Alkay's nose, and his lips, together with a couple punctures arround it, now nearly invisible, and there was the cut on his right ear.</p><p>'oh. Why ask now?'<br/>
'well, Im sitting right behind your shoulders, and your ears are constantly in front of me'</p><p>Right.</p><p>'I had a fight with another wolf. ...in fact I had many. In some packs, being a loner is frowned upon'<br/>
'I see. ...but you were not allways a loner. You use to have a pack'<br/>
'oh, yes. When I was little we traveled together. Then the others decided to settle'<br/>
'and you didn't'<br/>
'I found I couldn't stay in one place for too long. I missed the journey'<br/>
'and getting in trouble?'<br/>
'heh ...you should have seen the other guy'</p><p>Adrian snikered, but he didn't miss Alkay's stiff tone, and didn't ask again.</p><p>'so. Do you have any other stories?'<br/>
'oh, what would you like to hear?'</p><p>There it was. Adrian was starting to know Alkay well, and knew his tone changed when he was going to tell a good story</p><p>'I don't know, something... acord to the situation? A forest fairy tale?'<br/>
'oh, I have a funny story about creatures who dwell in the field... have I told you of the prince of rabbits?'<br/>
'no?'<br/>
'oh he has many good stories, one day I have to tell you the first one, its my favourite. But for the ocasion, I have a funny one...'<br/>
'Can't wait to hear it'</p><p>And so, Alkay started telling a story about a rabbit who found a traitor among his own, and in order to get rid of him, tricked the other into making a fool of himself while being judged by a council of predators. It was specially funny when the rabbit tried to convince the council, that he had seen a pheasant swiming, a headhog chanting in the middle of the day, and death itself in the shape of a black rabbit who smoked on pipe, before the prince had stolen the food. Alkay just knew when to add a comical pause or a head gesture.</p><p>They had the basket full of herbs by the time they got to the river. Alkay knew of plants from experience much more than Adrian could have learnt from books. It was shocking how rich the simple field could be, filled as it was with plants both medicinal and edible, if you only knew them.</p><p>At one point, Alkay nearly jumped.</p><p>'Wait a moment, is that... Palolu!'<br/>
'ah, what?'</p><p>Alkay ran further by the river and tapped a plant with his nose. It was tall and slim, with a thick base, and smal purple flowers.</p><p>'It is! Its palolu! We got lucky!'<br/>
'what is it... exactly?<br/>
'oh, you will see, just... try to rip the plant with the root whole. Its the root we want'</p><p>Adrian did as he was told. He found the principal rooth was stiff and hard, thick as a finger, and extended paralel to the earth towards one side. Alkay had to dig, showing quite the practice, while Adrian pulled to get it out.</p><p>'good, good, now, cut one piece and clean it in the river...'</p><p>Adrian did as he was told, and then peeled the brown exterior as he was told.</p><p>'Now chew on it'<br/>
'what. Just like that?'<br/>
'yes! Look, cut it on two and give me one half'</p><p>Adrian obliged and gave the wolf one half. It was quite funny seeing him in his wolf shape, holding a stick in his mouth like a tobaco roll.</p><p>'just give it a try' Alkay insisted. </p><p>Adrian decided, if it was some kind of prank and the root hapened to be terribly sour or something, it was still worth a try. So he did as he was told, and put one extreme of the stick on his mouth.<br/>
At first, nothing. He had to coat it on saliva and chew a little to get the juice out... and found, with shock, it was delicious.</p><p>It was sweet and fresh, with the tiniest sour pinch, that only made it better.<br/>
Also, it was somehow familiar.</p><p>'I... have tasted this before...'<br/>
'oh, yes. It is a very common spice! And its also used in medicine'</p><p>If that was the case, his mother probably had it at some point, at least in the kitchen. But he didn't remember her digging in the ground near the river to pull out the long, thick root.</p><p>'My sibilings and I became very good at spoting it. We would fight for them and, if we had a lot, we would sell them to rich kids in the city'<br/>
'rich kids like me?'<br/>
'heh, maybe'</p><p>Adrian could imagine himself as a child looking for this root and it being his favourite sweet. And it was not a far stretch, to imagine crossing paths with Alkay as children, while he traveled with his family, buying it from him and becoming childhood friends.</p><p>'Its a pity I grew up so fast... I can see this becoming a childhood favourite'<br/>
'your parents were strict with your education, I take it?'<br/>
'no, I mean it: I grew up really fast, as a secondary effect of being half vampire'</p><p>Alkay tilted his head a little. It was super cute.</p><p>'you mean, while most vampires are much, much older than they look, you are actually younger than you seem'<br/>
'... yes, I guess. Its a way to put it'</p><p>Alkay's eyes squinted in adition to the tilting</p><p>'wait, you look very young, how old are you?'<br/>
'uh... I turned 20 fairly recently... thoug I guess the last two years don't really count...'</p><p>he stoped talking, distracted by Alkay's reaction</p><p>'WHAAAAT?!' </p><p>The sound came of him distorsonied, blended with a yawn-like yelp, and his wolf face contracted, in a human-like wide smile that bared all of his teeth and part of his red and black gums.</p><p>To anyone else it would look demonic. Adrian found it... fascinating, somehow.</p><p>'so you are actually just 20, arguably 18 years old...'<br/>
'well, I was quite advanced for my age too, so I am going to go with 20'<br/>
'oh my sweet goddes I am not telling you my age'<br/>
'...why not?'<br/>
'I feel so old now!'</p><p>...it also raised questions about his atracction to him, but he wouldn't say that outloud</p><p>'You can't possibly be much older than me'<br/>
'no, seriously the gap between you and me is similar to that between me and my older brothers and they were old enough to help raise me when I was a baby!'<br/>
'you... are exagerating'<br/>
'aaaaaw now you remind me of my little sister too!'<br/>
'that can not be!'</p><p>Alkay laughted and his face contorted that way again, not as much as before, but still, it was quite the wolf grin.</p><p>'No no, don't take it wrong, I admire and respect all of my sibilings very much... inclunding my sweet little sister'<br/>
'stop'<br/>
'whatever you say, baby bro'</p><p>Adrian just stared at him. Alkay pretended he said nothing and tried to hold his laughter.</p><p>Adrian went back to cleaning the palolu, put it on the basket, and walked back to Alkay... then he stopped to contemplate him for a moment.</p><p>'you mentioned your family before. Im starting to wonder how are these people I remind you so much of'<br/>
'oh, well, where to start?'</p><p>Adrian sat on his back, and he started an easy trot</p><p>'what do they look like?'<br/>
'ok... my mother and all three of my sibilings have thick white fur. In comparison, I look small and skinny... black fur is uncommon where I come from, but, well, I also happen to be the runt'<br/>
'runt? What you mean by that? ...where you all born on the same litter?'<br/>
'oh, no, its just an expression, same as Layo being an Alpha. Its like a tytle within the comunity, the real boss is my mother. She is the experienced warrior'</p><p>Adrian was trying to decipher by his tone if he didn't like talking of it or it was just the mention of his being a runt that made his tone lower a little...</p><p>'oh, but I am the fastest of the clan, and the field expert'</p><p>with that his tone was proud again</p><p>'the fastest, really?'<br/>
'oh, yes' The wolf eyed him over his shoulder 'Maybe we should race one day. If you can help cheating with your vampiric habilities'<br/>
'excuse me?'<br/>
'My brothers are... how to put it? Assholes. They love to tease and to get away with everything. Funny, how they can be protective too. I pity Yolanda...'<br/>
'your sister?'<br/>
'yes, my mother was an acomplished hunter when she was her age, but Yolanda didn't grow up in the montains, she grew up surrounded by older brothers who want to keep her safe. She says she wants to join me when she is of age, and I belive her. Soon, she will get her first winter coat, and my brothers will ran out of excuses to hold her back'<br/>
'you speak as if you are very close... but you are far from home, and you travel a lot'<br/>
'well, that's what mail is for'</p><p>Adrian tilted his head. Alkay couldn't see it, he simply noticed the silence, and looked over his shoulder.</p><p>'...you don't keep in touch with your friends?'</p><p>The mention got Adrian off guard</p><p>'you mean Trevor and Sypha? How could we? They were going to be traveling, and mail is already unreliable without the whole land in chaos'<br/>
'the north and its weather are cruel, and it doesnt lack obstacles such as war. But we still have reliable messengers. If you can't find someone you trust, you could use a raven. They are faster, and more reliable. I allways use ravens theese days'<br/>
'you... send ravens across the sea and call them more reliable than humans traveling?'<br/>
'oh, sorry, these are not normal ravens...'<br/>
'...'<br/>
'...they are my brother's'<br/>
'...'<br/>
'...if you can call them that'<br/>
'I... don't understand'<br/>
'well, you have more than two libraries dedicated to magic, maybe there's something there to ease comunication?'</p><p>Adrian thought for a moment. Could he possibly fix his father's miror?</p><p>'...maybe'<br/>
'I am curious about them myself, and all I got to know of them is a couple puppets'<br/>
'that... was a mistake'<br/>
'oh, don't say that. These people are important to you, that... makes you human. Repressing theese feelings wouldn't be healthy'<br/>
'healthy. ...you seem to know a lot of that'<br/>
'...I have my moments. But how come you decided not to keep in touch with those two? Did they say they would be back soon?'<br/>
'no' Adrian made a face. Alkay should have seen it</p><p>Now he felt a little stupid. Perhaps they should have thought about it before trevor and Sypha left, or perhaps they wouldn't want to?</p><p>they left in such a hurry...</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oks, if you are curious for Alkay's story about rabbits, its based in one of the fairytales told in the book Watership Down, wich I recoment to everyone...<br/>If you are curious for Alkay's exagerated wolf smile...<br/>just google Moro's laughter from Princess Mononoke</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. an odd scent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The whole thing smells bad to Alkay</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alkay was scouting the woods around the castle with a distracted trot. He recogniced voices and came out of the woods right behind Sumi and Taka, who where walking back to the castle while talking distractedly.</p><p>'...god, did we miss lunch? Maybe Alucard can make lunch again. And dinner'<br/>
'One more dinner?'<br/>
'I can make dinner'</p><p>The two of them jumped to look behind them. Alkay was standing there on his human shape.<br/>
His smile soon fell when he realiced the shock and... fear? No, shock and something else in their faces. What was wrong? They seemed totally fine before he appeared. Sumi had even dropped a daisy she was holding.</p><p>'...what is it?'</p><p>The couple was so shocked they seemed at a lose of words. Where they still so afraid of him? They had no problem with Adrian and he was a vampire like Cho. </p><p>'is there anything wrong?'</p><p>Alkay walked closer and sniffed the air... and found in it a smell that froze him in place.<br/>
His face went suddenly serius. It was not the smell of blood, the two were not wounded. It was something else, something familiar, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew it was not good.<br/>
It was coming from the couple.</p><p>'Oh, not at all you just... startled us'</p><p>Alkay took a deep breath before answering, and with it another example of the scent.</p><p>'I am so sorry...' </p><p>he walked closer, and used the conversation as an excuse to take more of the smell in, with each breath </p><p>'you know you can trust me, right? I wouldn't harm you. Im not even a vampire'</p><p>That was a half truth. A wargo is not to be taken lightly, either.</p><p>'...of course! We are just... tired, from all the reading'<br/>
'And hungry!'</p><p>That was it! A suddent feeling of blood runing cold throu his back petrified him. He had finally recogniced the smell. A smell he knew well, from expirience.</p><p>Lying. And the fear of being caught ...and a pinch of something else he coulnd't quite pin down, but he didn't like at all.<br/>
He got goosebumps, signaling, had he been in wolf shape, his hair would be standing at the sudden realization.</p><p>It was the smell of treason. </p><p>-trust the wolf, Alkay-</p><p>It was like walking into a dark cave, curious by the smell, and suddenly realicing you where walking in a pool of blood, still no idea where it came from. Like finding a beautiful snake, playing with it, and then being told it was venomus.<br/>
Similar to that one time he was walking throu a snow covered meadow, and suddenly realiced it was a frozen lake, and he was walking on thin ice.<br/>
He would have to plan his next steps very carefully.</p><p>He smiled. It probably looked forced and fake, but it couldn't possibly be enough to uncover all of his advantage.</p><p>'In that case, I should put my money where my mouth is and make dinner. And I suggest you kids go to bed earlier this time'</p><p>He started walking towards the castle, not giving them a chance to complain, and walked in front of them ignoring the not so irrational fear of being stabbed in the back.</p><p>He didn't let his voice nor his smile slip again, and he exchanged some friendly conversation with the two while he made them some nice deer meat with sause, together with some greens.<br/>
By the time it was served, the two seemed distracted enough, mouths watering at the smell.<br/>
Alkay took a single piece of fruit, an apple, as a snak, and excused himself saying he had eaten something during his excursion, wich was not odd coming from him.</p><p>Then, he went straight to talk to Adrian, while the two where busy eating.<br/>
He found him reading, in his father's library.</p><p>'Adrian!'</p><p>The dampir noticed his hurried tone, and closed the book</p><p>'What is it?'<br/>
'I... uh, something happened, and you are not gonna like it... but you need to know'<br/>
'Well?'<br/>
'...Im so sorry, but, the couple, Sumi and Taka... they are planing something. Its not good'</p><p>Adrian's eyes widened a little</p><p>'What do you mean?'<br/>
'well, I don't know what they are planing, but I know its wrong'</p><p>Adrian frowned</p><p>'And how do you know this?'<br/>
'well, its many things, really. Today I surprised them talking about something... and I could tell by their reactions it was wrong, and they knew it'<br/>
'but, what where they saying?'<br/>
'Oh, I couldn't make it out from what little I heared of the conversation, but it was very suspicious'</p><p>Adrian took a deep breath</p><p>'allright, so you have a suspicion, becouse you walked in on them talking and they didn't like it'<br/>
'Its not just that!'</p><p>Adrian stared at him</p><p>'The smell...'<br/>
'...what smell?'</p><p>Now Alkay took a deep breath</p><p>'Look, you know how they say dogs can smell fear?'<br/>
'yes...?'<br/>
'well its true, its in the sweat. You don't smell the same when you sweat for excercise as when you are nervous or scared. With a little practice, us wolf people can tell many, many things just from scent'<br/>
'so can vampires. We can tell when a human is nervous, excited or scared, from the sound of the heartbeat, and we can percieve the smell of blood from afar. But this is not enough to tell you what they were talking about. For all we know they where having a heated argument when you walked in'<br/>
'its not the same! I know well the smell they were giving, and it was treason!'</p><p>Adrian's expression hardened</p><p>'that is a grave accusation'<br/>
'I am sorry Adrian. I know that you like them, but I am telling you, they are plotting something'</p><p>Adrian left the book in the case and spoke calmly, thou Alkay could tell he was a bit upset.</p><p>'I can not confront them just becouse you walked in on them arguing, and didn't like how they smell'<br/>
'I wouldn't make such an accusation with no reason. And you know it. Don't you realice how they manipulate you?'</p><p>Adrian turned at him, now furious</p><p>'I am no child and I can take care of myself'</p><p>There was no use pushing further. Alkay breathed deeply and lowered his head in respect to the lord of the castle</p><p>'I understand if you don't believe me. I just needed to tell you'<br/>
'you already have'</p><p>Alkay turned to leave</p><p>'I didn't mean to upset you' </p><p>...</p><p>He had done his part of warning Adrian. Whether the dampnir listened or not was not in his power.<br/>
But he could still do his part regarding the two... guests. He fantasiced with the idea of preparing a trap for them, or simply capturing one and forcing him to confess, but he knew that wouldn't work.<br/>
The only thing that occured to him that could work was... spying on them.</p><p>Now this could sound a bit extreme. He would have to drop hunting, for a while, be specially sneaky and carefull, prepare excuses in case he was caught, sleep only when he could tell the pair where already in bed, and even time carefully his bathroom breaks. And he didn't know how long this would go on.<br/>
But, what other choice did he have? He was only one, there were two of them and the only other resident of the castle was already on their net!</p><p>If they said anything suspicious again, he wanted to know. If they where planning something, he needed to find out. If they went anywere at night, he would follow.</p><p>So when a little voice in the back of his head said "you are overreacting. This is stupid. Maybe you are just yeallows..." he quieted it down and told himself "trust the wolf" </p><p>...</p><p>He had to be specially careful that night. Alucard was showing the couple the principal armory of the castle. He was prety confident on his skills around the humans, but the vampire was diferent.<br/>
He kept as far as he could from them, listening carefully for the echo of their voices.<br/>
Luckily, being the castle so empty, the silence allowed him to follow the conversation by just being still, and concentrating.</p><p>It reminded him of hunting lemmings in the snow.</p><p>The two were, again, pestering Alucard about the mechanism that moved the castle. Then they did something new: they confronted him.<br/>
Alaky's eyes widened. He would have loved to see Alucard's face when he said</p><p>'excuse me?'<br/>
'its just, there are parts of the castle you avoid showing us. Things you don't talk about'<br/>
'Its a big castle'</p><p>Alkay took a big risk and peeked out from the corner to look at the three of them, trusting in the weird angle, the darkness, and the distractions of the conversation to keep him hidden.<br/>
The terror two where standing with their back to him, completly opposed to Adrian.</p><p>'We have plenty of time together, don't we?'</p><p>Sumi held his arm and got very close, smiling at him, dropping all of the sudden the tone of the conversation.</p><p>'yes we do'</p><p>Taka smiled at him too, and they walked down the corridor, together.</p><p>Alkay had to hold bak a growl. The hair in the back of his neck was standing, and his muzzle a little furrowed. How could he be so blind? That one conversation had been so blantant! So deliverated...<br/>
it was too clear now, the young master was blinded by lonelines and afection.<br/>
Adrian was going to make dinner now, but Alkay was not hungry. He couldn't stomach anything if he tried. And he couldn't walk in the kitchen now, and look at the faces of the others without growling.</p><p>He would wait in the corridor, until his nerves were calm, then he would walk into the kitchen, say he had been hunting and was not hungry anymore, and he would grab a piece of fruit for the rest of the night.</p><p>It was going to be a long night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I should probably wait longer to publish this chapter, but I couldn't have it staring at me in my desk, so here it is. Be free.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The struggle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You knew this was coming</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alkay knew it was one of those nights that he couldn't sleep if he tried. He didn't want to. He wasn't even tired. He knew he couldn't stop sleeping alltoghether to spy on the couple 24/7 but he could figure that out later.</p><p>He could take little naps when the two had just entered the library, knowing they would spend at least a few hours down there, or rest when he knew they were sleeping.<br/>Taka was not a morning person, and they never went anywhere alone, so maybe if he just hid out of sight, where the two had to pass, he could wake up when they left the room or the vault...<br/>He had even prepared a couple of excuses in case he was caught sneaking on them.</p><p>But tonight was not the case. His instinct rang in his head, keeping him tense, and he just needed to stick to the back of those little... fiends.<br/>He was starting to feel paranoid, but shook the feeling and reminded himself, he couldn't sleep anyways.</p><p>So, he followed the couple to their room, and once they closed the door behind them, he crouched behind the closest corner.</p><p>If he stayed awake, he would be able to hear the door open if they went out during the night.<br/>There was a big chance he would have to stay like this all night long. But still, he had nothing better to do. Even if he was just being paranoid.</p><p>He had spent many nights awake, keeping watch while others slept. He had spent entire nights runing behind a prey he didn't realy need. It should be easy to spend a night without rest, after staying in a confy castle, without the familiar exaustion of the journey.</p><p>...alas, there was only one obstacle: this was boring. He decided to sit up and stay seated to avoid falling asleep while lying down. Then, he closed his eyes, and evoqued the sensations of a much more familiar situation.</p><p>Grass beneath his paws. Open night sky above him. Fresh wind carying the dark lullaby of the night, with the smell of the earth and the sound of the trees arround him.<br/>To his right, he imagined a small fire, cracking, emanating an orange glow and warmth. There where crikets somewhere nearby, and an owl hoot from time to time.</p><p>He breathed deep and concentrated in this image. He was not alone in the camp. There was a reason he was keeping watch. There was someone sleeping next to the fire, a friend, a sleeping alay who needed rest, and he had to guard them.<br/>Who was the sleeping friend in this ocasion? Many had found themselves in the traveling company of Alkay throut the years, but tonight, it was clear. It was Adrian.</p><p>A sound that did not fit with this familiar setting brought him back to reality.<br/>A door opening, and naked steps. <br/>Alkay crouched down. Sumi and Taka had left the room. And by the sound of it, they mooved forward away from him.</p><p>He waited until they turned the corner, and troted silently up the corridor, to crouch behind the next corner. Like this, he followed them undiscovered to Adrian's door.</p><p>He heared the door open, and close, and concentraiting very hard, barely, he heared Adrian's distant voice.</p><p>'What's wrong?'<br/>'nothing's wrong'<br/>'everything's fine'</p><p>He doubted for a moment wether he should abandon his hiding spot, wich provaided him with a safe distance. After waiting a few seconds, seeing as the door wasn't opening again, he moved closer.<br/>He crouched to one side of the door, planting his ear to the point where the door met the wall, and listened.</p><p>There was... no conversation going on. Did he miss something? He waited.<br/>...there was... some sound in there. Movement, coming from somewhere? If Adrian was on the bed, maybe he was getting up? <br/>...no. There were no steps, but there where faint sounds.<br/>It took him a few moments to recognice them. Sounds of kissing.</p><p>Sound of flesh on flesh, mouths clashing, and of clothes being discarded on the floor.<br/>Sounds of slow, tentative sex.</p><p>Alkay's entire body, that had been so tense, went suddenly numb. He was no longer crouching, just lying there, holding his head carelessly, no longer concentrating.<br/>Of course, how could he be so stupid?</p><p>The pair had done every possible gesture to enchant and seduce Adrian. Of course they were capable of geting in his bed. And why would Adrian refuse?</p><p>Alkay's muzzle lowered, in a defeated gesture. He could almost feel his heart bleeding, leaving his whole body cold. When seconds ago he had been ready to spend nights on a row without sleep, ready to jump at someone... now he was suddenly tired.<br/>No, he wouldn't fool himself. He was heartbroken.</p><p>He would have given anything to hold Adrian in his arms. He had felt like traveling to the other side of Valachia to bring him fresh flowers. He had decided not to tell him, to be carefull.<br/>And someone less carefull, someone with dark intetions had decided not to wait in his place.</p><p>Would Adrian wellcome him in his bed, had he been braver? He did wellcome Sumi and Taka.<br/>Of course, last time they spoke Adrian was not happy with him, while Sumi and Taka had been so willing, so complacent...<br/>and they where younger, and funnier, and certainly more beautiful.</p><p>Damn Sumi's wit! Damn Taka's stupid freakles and curls, and his stupid jokes! And damn above else, Adrian's lonelines, and his naivete.</p><p>The sounds behind the door became slightly louder and faster, and Alkay got up and turned arround, silently, his head low.<br/>But before he reched the corridor a thought assaulted him.</p><p>He was not doing this becouse he was jealous. He was doing this becouse Sumi and Taka were dangerous, and he decided to spy on them regardless of circunstances.<br/>Was it really wise to leave Adrian alone in a room with the two, and just go to sleep?</p><p>"obviously" said a part of him "but you are late. They are taking advantage of him right now, and you can do nothing. Your mission has failed"<br/>"Nonsense" said the other "you never know when they are going to do something stupid. You decided to spy on them at all times, suddenly this is going too far?"</p><p>Alkay asked himself for a moment, had Adrian been someone else, someone he had no interest in, what would he do?</p><p>"you would stay nearby, just in case you hear something, becouse it is your duty, as stupid as it may be" but it surely is wrong to listen to someone having sex, without being invited... "arguably, according to human morals. You are a wolf, and you have a mission! It would be no different from a souldier guarding his king's chambers, wether he's fucking a whore, or just sleeping"</p><p>So, he huffed, in a dissmissive, annoyed gesture, and turned back, looking for a good corner to settle down. Sadly, he found none better than the one he had been occupying previously, where he could hear someone coming with time to retreat. It also made it impossible to ignore the sounds from inside the room.</p><p>"I am doing this for a god reason" he repeated to himself "I am not a pervert"<br/>"perhaps you should try to enjoy yourself, if you have no choice?"<br/>"shut up" what was doing GraySam in his head he didn't know. He would never tell him of this situation and he would still never hear the end of it. He just knew.</p><p>But how long could this... coupling take? He tried to calculate to dristract himself.<br/>...and with dismay he realiced that there were three people in the room, and one of them was a vampire, and vampires probably don't lack stamina.<br/>They were in for a ride... all four of them.<br/>Oh joy.</p><p>Alkay wondered what different things he could do to distract himself of the situation he had decided to stick with, but imagination alone could only do so much. <br/>He could imagine what his brother would do: listen careful and try to guess exactly what they were doing... nope. Not a chance.<br/>Maybe painful memories that made this look like a roll in the daisys? ...that couldn't be healthy.</p><p>It seemed like it was finally over. He believed he heared one last loud ghasp from Adrian, and then, silence.</p><p>Would they leave now, or would they stay in bed with him? He tried to listen to find out, but the sound was very different from expected.</p><p>There was fast swipe. Like that of a wip, but... metalic? It was repeated, several times, fast, and then... the sound of ghasps and groans.<br/>...it was Adrian. What...? maybe they were using toys?</p><p>'what's happening?'</p><p>That was Adrian's voice.</p><p>'you've been lying to us'<br/>'I have not'<br/>'you have. Becouse everybody lies to us. Everybody hides things from us'</p><p>Alkay concentrated again. It sounded like Adrian was struggling. But he was a dampir. He was so strong! The conversation went on. They were confessing to wanting the castle for themselves, to their plans, confronting Adrian...</p><p>'I gave you everything!'<br/>'no, you didn't. Nobody does' she repeated the same argument as before 'do you expect us to believe you are different?'<br/>'I tried to be'</p><p>It didn't sound like a normal argument, but, should he interrupt? It could still be a normal argument... right? He shouldn't just walk in...</p><p>'you haven't taught us magic. You won't move the castle. You are just like all the others'<br/>'please...!'</p><p>That was it. At Taka's harsh tone, and Adrian's dessperate plea, Alkay got up and pushed the door open with his front paws, falling on all fours standing in the room, interrupting the conversation.<br/>It all happened so fast.</p><p>He saw the couple, kneeling over adrian with large daggers hovering over his chest, and he saw red.<br/>With a growl, he jumped on the bed, and in the same movement bit Taka on the arm, and threw him away.</p><p>Before he could turn, Sumi stabbed him in the back, by the shoulder. Yelp turned to growl as he turned and bit her in the shoulder and base of the neck.<br/>He wanted so bad to maul her. He felt like it, had he got her by the neck he would have, but that was not his priority. He trew her of the bed and stood there, growling, keeping his ground.<br/>The two naked, bleeding bodies at the sides of the bed scattered to their feet and run out of the room. He chased after them... until he found himself in the corridor.</p><p>It would feel good, so good, to chase them down the halls of Castlevania, and bite their legs and make them trip and maul them one and then the other, now that they had no way to defend themselves, it would be fun.</p><p>But his priority was Adrian. He was in the bed.</p><p>Alkay turned arround and walked oddly (his shoulder felt numb) up to the bed.</p><p>'Adrian' his voice sounded distorded, a background of raspy wimping 'what have they done? ...Im sorry'</p><p>Adrian didn't answer. He was in shock.</p><p>'How do I get you out?'<br/>'ah, ...the brazalets'</p><p>Alkay shifted back to human, and then felt the pain in his shoulder, due to the blade obstaculizing the bending of muscle and bone. He pulled it out and threw it aside, and then, gentle as possible, he knelt over Adrian to find the solution to his bindings.</p><p>The brazalets clicked behind his wrists, but there was no mechanism to get the silver lines out. He opened one of the brazalets, and the magic wips of silver retreated back into it.</p><p>'Just one to go' </p><p>He did the same with the other, and threw them aside. Then, he grabbed the bed sheet and carefully placed it over Adrian's naked body, as a conforting gesture more than anything.</p><p>'I am so sorry. But its going to be allright. I promise'</p><p>Adrian took some time to answer </p><p>'you... were right'</p><p>Adrian growled and looked back at the wide open door</p><p>'I shall find them and rip them apart!'<br/>'no! Please'<br/>'...very well. But I must stop them. Now that they are weakened'</p><p>Adrian looked down. There were dropplets of blood on the sheets. Some smudges in the wall, and more in the floor...</p><p>'I will be back soon. Don't you worry. It will be allright'</p><p>Adrian noded without feeling and Alkay jumped of the bed, in his wolf shape.</p><p>There was a trail of fresh blood, very easy to follow. Instead of their room, it led to the closest armory. Smart little traitors prioritized advantage over clotes... they would probably patch themselves up, and pick a weapon.</p><p>He moved slower the closer he got, trusting himself to the cover of the shadows. Soon, the smell coming from the room made him still, and repress a growl.</p><p>What should he do? Walk inside? Into the dark, the silent room filled with weapons and two skilled enemies? Another warrior would have. But he didn't. No. He crouched down, next to the door, silently, paciently, and waited.</p><p>For a few moments he heared nothing. Perhaps they left throu the other door? Oh but then, there were sounds coming closer. Familiar sounds: those of naked steps. Coming closer.</p><p>His body tensed, but he didn't move. He waited until one foot stepped out of the door, right in front of him, and he jumped, bit down on it, and run.<br/>He ran down the corridors and stairs of Castlevania dragging Sumi by the foot. He knew it was her by the screams. She couldn't fight back if she tried, busy, trying helplessly to cover herself from the beating of the steps.</p><p>By the time he reached a dungeon, her body was nearly limp of exaustion and pain. He trew her in the cell and closed the door behind her with a kick. The beated body didn't move.<br/>Taka reached him soon. He had a sword, and a bow and arrows strapped on his back. Alkay wouldn't give him the chance to use that.</p><p>He got up on his hind legs, and shapeshifted into his half-form, much bigger than a human, covered in fur, with a long mouth filled with teeth, and human like arms ended in large claws.<br/>He roared. To the boy's credit, he didn't cower.</p><p>Taka lunged forward, Alkay averted the atack and, closer now, clawed him across the head from above. The boy fell head first to the ground with the force of impact, his hair mudded with blood.<br/>Alkay gave him no time to recover, grabbed him by the back of the neck and threw him in the next cell, and closed the door.</p><p>As he was turning away he heared Sumi's furious words</p><p>'Monster! We were doing no wrong!'</p><p>He answered with another roar. His next words sounded so distorted, growling louder than speech.</p><p>'Silence, girl. How dare you. I would be mauling you if it wasn't for his mercy'</p><p>He listened to nothing else as he turned back on all fours and ran up the stairs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I was going to post this divided in two, becouse I liked the note it ended on at the first cut, but that would leave us with two very short chapters with basically the same premise, so... yeah</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrian was alone, in a bed pierced by silver, his body covered in fresh burns, and guarded only by a bloodstained sheet. He couldn't stay. He needed to... to move, somewhere else.<br/>He left the room where it happened, and found himself in a dark corridor. It should feel familiar, but right now he was lost. The silence, unbeareble, and a cold that shouldn't be possible withing him, pushed him to the right, away from the blood trail in the floor.</p><p>There were distant echos of screaming somewhere in the castle, but he couldn't take anymore.<br/>He kept walking, seeking refuge, until he found himself in a far smaller room, and looked arround.</p><p>It was his childhood bedroom ...but it was different.</p><p>And it should be different. There should be something here that was missing. Adrian was confused, but he knew it... there was no ash in the floor. No broken windows, nor wood. The carpet had been changed for another blue carpet, far less exquisite. <br/>There wasn't even the smell of smoke or death. He sniffed, searching for something, and he got the distant scent of wood barnishing.</p><p>Then he realiced: Alkay had been here while restoring the castle. <br/>He had been exploring the entire place, taking notes of every broken chandelier and wall and he had taken notes and went the extra mile to fix every last piece. <br/>But this room didn't have a broken table or a snapped metal piece, this is where it happened, this is where...</p><p>Adrian looked around. Even the post of his bed had been replaced. Alkay had to go on several hunting trips to pay for all of this, and even cared for the details, such as sanding the scorched wood where Dracula had burned, and barnish it, and then put a blue rug on the spot.</p><p>The shock kind of distracted him from the pain for a moment. Then, one detail called his attention.<br/>Where was the ring? He looked arround. His father's wedding ring, the only surviving item that he had on him when he died, it had been on the floor, for months, since he didn't dare even walk near this place since it happened.</p><p>If the rug had been replaced, and the floor fixed, perhaps it rolled under the bed? no. Alkay had been so careful, he must have noticed there was a ring in the floor. He must have taken it, but he wouldn't steal it. Where...?</p><p>Adrian looked around, and saw something that wasn't there before.<br/>Between the windows, under the portrait of his family, on the table, there was a small box.<br/>A simple small wooden jewlery box that wasn't there before. Adrian knew what he would find inside, but he still walked up to it, and opened it.<br/>His father's ring was inside.</p><p>At the sight, Adrian staggered back, the weight of it all coming back, and fell in the middle of the room, shoulders shaking. How long was he like that? There's no telling. But, suddenly, there was warmth. Gentle arms held him. He looked up and found Alkay's serius yet serene face. He nodded.</p><p>'Its okay. Come' </p><p>He helped him up, and sat him on the bed. Then carefully took the blanket and dragged it over Adrian's shoulders, so he could discard the stained sheet. Adrian was in a daze.</p><p>'Alkay you... fixed it'<br/>'I did'<br/>'...but, why?'</p><p>Alkay took a moment to asnwer</p><p>'it just seemed like the right thing to do'</p><p>Adrian's eyes wondered down. He was numb, frozen. Until Alkay spoke again.</p><p>'Im sorry'<br/>'but its not your fault'<br/>'I am not apologicing. Im just sorry'</p><p>Then, Adrian's shoulders shook again. But this time, Alkay embraced him and held him tight.</p><p>'it is going to be okay. I promise'</p><p>...</p><p>Once Adrian had relaxed a little, Alkay asked him</p><p>'do you think you could get some sleep?'<br/>'how could I?'<br/>'then I know what may help: a nice bath, with bubbles'</p><p>Adrian didn't know what to answer, but he let himself be led into the bathroom, where he sat while Alkay prepared the water.</p><p>'I should go get you some clotes... would you like me to... help you wash your back, and maybe your hair?'</p><p>Adrian realiced he was actually asking if he prefered to be alone. And answered in kind.</p><p>'Yes, that would be nice'<br/>'Good. I'll be right back'</p><p>Alkay took the cance to pick the bloody sheet of the floor, and a bucket of water, and pretty much run downstairs, to the dungeons. He laid both things at the reach of the prisioners.</p><p>'Use this to patch yourselves'<br/>'you still care about us? Did Alucard send you?'<br/>'don't you dare mention him'<br/>'If you haven't killed us yet, maybe you just can't. Your master forbids it'</p><p>Alkay's lips frowned in an inhuman way, baring sharp teeth</p><p>'Careful little man, I have fangs too, and I never liked you to begin with'</p><p>He run back up the stairs, and picked fresh clotes for Adrian, making sure to put on a serene smile before walking in the bathroom.</p><p>'sorry I took so long, maybe you would like something simple?'</p><p>Adrian barely noded. He was just sitting in the water, looking at no point in the wall. Alkay held his hair in a ponytail and was as gentle as possible when placing a hand on his shoulder, making him recline. He placed his hair to one side, over the shouler and on his chest, and began covering Adrian's shoulders on a thick layer of soap foam.</p><p>Adrian felt Alkay's hands taking extra time on carrasing his skin in soft circles, applaying just enough preassure to force some softness into his muscles. Alkay massaged his neck and the back of his scalp, and then went back down, throu his shoulders and spine.<br/>Adrian let a groan go, and then spoke.</p><p>'I don't deserve such pleasures'<br/>'uh, I am no expert massagist...'<br/>'I killed my own father, and for what'</p><p>Alkay stopped on his tracks, and then retook the task, now using the warm water to swipe the soap away.</p><p>'your father needed to be stopped. Im sure he was a good man, in some aspects, or else he wouldn't have a son like you. But if you hadn't done what you had to do, it would have been worse'<br/>'...'<br/>'Sometimes, the right choice is not much better than the wrong one. Its just the least of two evils. Sometimes, terrible things happen, and we have to keep going'</p><p>Adrian made a gesture, as to look over his shoulder at Alkay, but he didn't reach so far as to look in his eyes.</p><p>'You... you can't be much older than me. But you are very wise'<br/>'...I have my moments'<br/>'no. Its... its from expirience, isnt it?'</p><p>Alkay stopped for a moment to think.</p><p>'we all pay a price for life, I guess' </p><p>He then took Adrian's hair again, and wetted it, before adding generous amounts of soap.</p><p>'I can tell you from expirience, it does get better'</p><p>Alkay's soappy hands combined with warm water massaged Adrian's scalp, and then the base of his hair, and pressed carefully down all of its lenght, and then repeated the process, washing away both sweat and tension. Adrian breathed deeply and let the feeling sink in.<br/>So many feeling swirled in his mind, but they no longer slashed at him in fury. Alkay had known how to calm them.</p><p>When having nothing else, he held to this promise.</p><p>...</p><p>He still felt... numb. He let Alkay just guide him throu the castle, while he did what he could to keep normalcy.</p><p>He just sat at the table while the wolf cooked some breakfast. Before anything else was done, Alkay prepared him chamomile infusion with milk and honey. He also stood by the table until Adrian looked up at him.</p><p>'do try to drink it'</p><p>He didn't argue. Alkay went back to the stove and Adrian's eyes got lost in the distance. There was nothing there. Only some memories of what had just happened. He sighed, then he turned his eyes to one side, more out of costume than anything, and saw them.<br/>The puppets were there. On their post, as usual. Looking better than ever after Alkay had fixed them ...the time when he spoke to them out of sheer lonelines seemed so far away now.</p><p>He just... stared at them. His mind lost again.</p><p>'Adrian?'</p><p>Alkay was there, placing in front of him a plate with some bacon, an egg and a slice of bread.</p><p>'I can't stomach anything'<br/>'just try a bit of each. Please'</p><p>Adrian obliged, very slow, without the least of intention, and Alkay sat near him to eat something too. Soon, Adrian was just staring at his plate. Then it came to him</p><p>'Oh! Your shoulder!'<br/>'...ah, right. Um, I kinda forgot'<br/>'How could you forget something like that?'<br/>'I dunno. Guess, I've had worst, and I've had to make do with less so... well, I was just... distracted'</p><p>"distracted caring for me" Adrian thought. That was just Alkay. Putting aside his own wound to help him take a bath and get back in routine... a little huf of amusement scaped his nose.</p><p>'What?'<br/>'you often mention healthy costumes. Yet you forget to treat your own wounds'<br/>'...um... right'<br/>'come'</p><p>The food was left where it stood as Adrian took Alkay to the closest lab, where he made him take off his shirt and sit on a table while he prepared the stichting utensiles. When he turned, Alkay was holding his hair over a shoulder to let him acces the injured spot.</p><p>Adrian had, suddenly, a pretty clear view of the many scars that marked his back. It looked like a goddamn map, but without sense. He walked closer and just... he could see some were older than others, perhaps there were more he couldn't see anymore. There was a big one that climbed up the back of his neck and stopped abruptly behind the ear.<br/>...that one looked like a burnt scar.</p><p>'Adrian?'</p><p>Alkay looked at him over his shoulder. Adrian had been staring.</p><p>'I am... thinking...'<br/>'...okay'</p><p>Shit, he must have noticed... Adrian got to the task and noticed that the wound was... odd.<br/>The superficial wound looked like a pretty clean cut, but it didn't seem very deep, yet the flesh was red and inflamated arround...<br/>shit</p><p>'...Alkay, ...how does shapeshifting affect a deep cut?'<br/>'right. Um, we have a high metabolism, so we tend to heal fast... but when we shift with a fresh wound, specialy in a zone that changes drastically the wound can... worsen'<br/>'how much worse?'<br/>'well, we're talking streatching of the muscle and skin, displacement... that short of thing'<br/>'fuuuck'<br/>'yeah, it could be worse. A shoulder out of shocket can be a big problem while shapeshifting'<br/>'becouse shoulders are some of the things that change the most in your body...'<br/>'well, yeah'</p><p>He could see it now. In his wolf shape, Alkay had to walk in all four, front legs under his chest, supporting his body. As a man, his arms hung at the sides of his torso, and during the transformation, the shoulder blades rotated from sides to back, dragging all the muscle with them...</p><p>The wound, somewhere in the trapezius, had originally been a clean, deep puncture. After the transformation, the skin stayed in place, but the muscle moved, leaving some internal bleeding in the way, and maybe ripping.<br/>Now he could not access it. He could only see the wound in the skin, but not the muscle.</p><p>'maybe it would be better if you turn back to a wolf. Can you do that?'<br/>'...sure'</p><p>Alkay did, and suddenly there was a huge dire wolf sitting at the table. Its body stood a little taller sitting like this, so the animal lied down across the table and rested its head on his front paws, letting Adrian look at his back and neck.</p><p>'...I can't see anything with all this hair'</p><p>there was a whine for an answer</p><p>'...I get that you hate this but... I do think I need to shave some fur'</p><p>another whine</p><p>'you can complain but unless you stop me Im gonna do it'</p><p>And another whine. Adrian gave Alkay some infusion of poppy seeds to ease the pain, and while it made effect he went to search for the neccesary instruments to shave the fur off.<br/>That alone proved a difficult task: Adrian had to use scissors to cut as much as he could and then wet and soap the fur in order to shave carefully. By the time he could finally see clearly the wound, the table, the floor and himself had a black layer of hair on them.</p><p>All of it, from a relatively small patch. He imagined for a moment how Alkay may look stripped of all his fur, next to the pile of hair...</p><p>All things considered. Alkay was a good pacient. He seemed more distressed for the loss of hair than the actual injury. Adrian was done pretty soon.</p><p>'There. I would bandage it, but as long as you are careful not to touch it nor lie on it, its better to let it dry. But do not force it'</p><p>Alkay gave him an innocent puppy look and a tail wag and for a moment there, Adrian forgot all his worries.<br/>Back at the kitchen, Alkay got up on two legs without breaking the wolf shape, and gulped down the cold egg, bacon and bread from his plate like, well, a dog. Plate licking included.</p><p>'gross'</p><p>Alkay then grunted, made a head gesture and nosed Adrian's plate. <br/>Adrian took his sweet time to warm the food before eating it. When he was done, he found himself again, in a silent kitchen, looking at the wall.<br/>Once more his sight wandered over to the wall, where the puppets where placed.</p><p>A soft preasure got him out of his thoughts: Alkay was lying his head on Adrian's lap.<br/>The dampir found himself caressing the wolf's head and neck, careful to avoid the shaved patch. At a wag from Alkay's tail, it crossed his mind the first time he had seen him, when he thought it was just someone's lost dog, and the walks they had across the woods... and how loyal he was.<br/>Like this, right now, Alkay looked like a simple animal, loyal like a pet hound. Was this a trait of all wolf people? Or was Alkay loyal for a reason?</p><p>Adrian closed his eyes. Suddenly, the faces of Sumi and Taka and Trevor and Sypha danced in his mind, too painful and confusing...</p><p>Alkay licked his hand. The sudden feeling startled Adrian out of his thoughts, and he looked down.<br/>The wolf was looking at him with big, knowing eyes. Adrian couldn't remember later how he ended up kneeling in the floor, hugging him.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Behind the scenes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I really hope you guys like it...</p>
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</p><p> </p><p>This dialogue was originally meant to happen while bonding in a room with Al lying on a couch</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And then there's the design sketches...</p><p>
  
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</p><p>I noticed Alkay may look younger in these pictures than he is in this story. This is becouse, in his original story, he travels and grows up for years, and most of the time I knew him as a teenager or young adult. Also, its been a while since I last got to drawing, and the result is not my best work.</p><p>He also developes a lot! he was quite the emo teenager, brooding warior and misterious traveler for years, before he started making friends and growing as a person throu his journeys, wich makes it quite ironical and funny that the first time he is presented, he appears as a happy, upbeat character!</p><p>It also may beg the question, why present him now? and in this particular crossover? well... there's a reason for that:</p><p>At first I was saving him and his family for their original story, but as the years go by and the story keeps getting bigger and more complex, (as it often happens to us newbie writers) it seems like the day of publising may never come. And the idea of them never seeing the light, at least in a crossover fanfiction is quite right painful.</p><p>Also, since he is a great traveler and knows some magic he is quite easy to fit into any story (I imagine him even as a time traveler) I have written many crossover fanfictions starring him, and it was about time to let some out. If i ever get to do this profesionaly I can allways change his name a little...</p><p>That said, would you like to see him again in some of his other adventures? </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The thing is, I have already reached the point I was going for with this story. I have ideas to continue, but I will be improvising more and more and I don't think its going to be much longer.<br/>So I want to thank everyone who read it, specially those who left kudos (and most specialy to Birdaboobies)<br/>and most than all tell you that I really hope you enjoy this story!</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Healing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I am gonna have to add mutual pining to the tags</p>
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    <p>Adrian found the castle excepcionaly dark and quiet. It use to be this way, but it shouldn't, not anymore. He had a terrible feeling, and started walking down the halls, calling for Alkay.</p><p>He had to restrain himself from calling for Sumi and Taka. He knew they were no longer guests, but he had grown used to them, and now that they were gone he had to get aquitanced with their abscense.</p><p>Yet, the castle was too quiet. <br/>Where was Alkay?</p><p>He started walking down corridors and stairs, and crossing rooms and more corridors, and started growing impatient. The castle itself was a being of chaos, and for some reason it felt like he was not going anywhere (or at least, anywhere he wanted) he started to walk faster, and look all around looking for the wolf, but there was no answer.</p><p>Alkay responded to howling, should he howl? Should he turn into a wolf and track him down and call for him?</p><p>He finally reached the front doors of Castlevania and opened them. It was cold outside. In fact, the floor looked white. Was it snow? Or frost? Had winter arrived already? So fast passed time when he was feeling depressed, had he missed the arrival of the cold season?</p><p>Cold indeed crawled up his limbs and his back, when he distinguised a black silouette lying in the ground, right in front of him. It was too far to define it, but Adrian suddenly found himself running for it, runing dessperatedly, and covering no ground for it seemed like no matter how much he ran, he was getting no closer.</p><p>Finally, he was standing right in front of it, and horror pierced his heart as he recogniced without a doubt, the dead body of a black dire wolf.</p><p>It was the ghasp of horror that woke him up. He was lying in his bed, darkness alone and the transparent linen above. He incorporated and looked down to see Alkay, in his wolf shape, curled at the feet of his bed, breathing pacefully.<br/>He wanted to caress him, but held himself, and lied back in bed.</p><p>The death of his parents, the masacre outside, his friends coming into his life and leaving, and the betrayal of Taka and Sumi, all had happened so fast for him.<br/>Loneliness had taken over his life, and his personality, and there had been nothing he could do, but let it happen and live with it. With the silence and cold and darkness of it all, even in the brighter days... untill Alkay had arrived, and after everything that happened he was the only one who remained. <br/>Even now, he was sleeping curled at his feet, content with the life of a loyal dog.</p><p>How long, until he left too?</p><p>...</p><p>Alkay had to convince Adrian to go back to his room. He had been dancing arround it and making excuses such as the matress being ruined... but Alkay had seen right throu them. He seemed to know so well the matters of the mind, and how after such a traumatic event, Adrian may not want to step in that room again.</p><p>'it is your room, and you can not let fear kick you out of it. You must reclaim it. I once knew a man, who's job was to climb searching for fruit. One time he fell and nearly killed himself. It was terrifying, he said, "and that's why I got right up and tried again right away" he knew he couldn't let fear settle in and stop him from his job'</p><p>Adrian understood, but he still doubted. Alkay was pacient and understanding, and fixed up the room himself (how did he do that on his wolf form? Ask him) before coarcing Adrian back in. Ever since, the wolf had stayed in his bed. And it felt so natural, like it had always been meant to be.</p><p>Adrian disliked recognicing how young he was, but in moments like this, when he admired so much someone with more experience, when he loved someone with such pasion, and he was unable to express himself, he felt like a blushing teenager again.</p><p>Life had proven him wrong time and again. He had liked Sypha. More than he would recognice. She reminded him of his mother, but she was fierce and brilliant on her own, and he had been impressed from the very first moment he had seen her.</p><p>He had been a little bit jeallows of Trevor (he would never ever admit) specially when he complained about him to Sypha, and she reminded him how young he was, and had gone back to trevor, to his warmth.<br/>His heart had been broken by that, but it was so damaged already, he had barely noticed the cracks.<br/>Still, it added to everything else.</p><p>Then there was Taka and Sumi, and how easily, how naturaly they had creeped in. How fast he had let them in, without suspecting anything, even when it had to be obvious from outside becouse Alkay had noticed.</p><p>He had no one to turn to, no one to ask advice from, about Alkay.</p><p>...</p><p>'thinking about your friends?'</p><p>Alkayd once caught him looking at the puppets in the kitchen.</p><p>'I... it has been so long since they left'<br/>'Im sure they are allright. They defeated Dracula and his entire court. What else could there be to challenge them?'<br/>'That's what I thougt, when I invited Sumi and Taka in. "I can defend myself. What could go wrong?" '</p><p>Alkay tilted his furry head</p><p>'that is true. You can never know what the world will throw at you. But what could you do? Lock them in a gilded cage? Cry their lose, before you know if anything did happen to them? You have enough to recover from without playing the game of "what if" '</p><p>Adrian nodded. Alkay was really too wise for his own good. Knowing he had become like this out of his own expirience, and that he was still young, he didn't know if he really wanted to know about his past</p><p>'You said your brother is "the wise one" '<br/>'He is. The wisest person I know'<br/>'I tremble at the thought'</p><p>Adrian sat at the table, with the pan of bacon and omelets he had just prepared, and served both their plates</p><p>'If someone like you considers them a font of wisdom, he must be an oracle or something'</p><p>Alkay's giggles sounded creepy when blended with the soft growl of a wolf eating bacon.</p><p>Then it hit him. The realization. Sumi and Taka.<br/>He had known nothing of them. Hadn't even heared of them. And it had been... days! The last he had known of them had been the echo of screams the night of the atack. He looked at Alkay in shock. He had taken care of them, but he did not say how.<br/>The white of huge teeth in stark contrast with furrowed black fur, as he munched on the meat.</p><p>Alkay gulped his meal and noticed.</p><p>'what is the matter?'<br/>'...Taka and Sumi'</p><p>The wolf's ears changed position a little, and his tail moved with impatience.</p><p>'what about them?'<br/>'...you didn't tell me how you dealt with them'<br/>'I didn't think you were in condition to discuss it'</p><p>He licked his lips, but stood firm.</p><p>'did you... kill them?'<br/>'I was tempted, but I didn't. You asked me not to'<br/>'but it has been days. A human can't survive so long without water...'<br/>'you must not worry for that. I have been visiting them once a day to deliver suplies. A piece of bread every day. A piece of fruit or dried meat at least once a week. More than enough, and more than they deserve'</p><p>Adrian hadn't even noticed, but he wasn't surpriced. Alkay was so... meticulous. Even to a deep level, that he had only a glimpse of: to him, Alkay was a friendly and loyal person, with an inclination to good humor and stories. But when it had been needed, the wolf had not doubted, not even questioned a blunt, agressive aproach. It was like a second personality, dark and treachorous hid beneath the softness, allways planing in case he had to strike.</p><p>Was this out of expirience? Alkay had been so sure, not even surprised by the betrayal. Had he learnt to deal with things like those from experience? Or was it the savage and territorial nature of the wolf?</p><p>Adrian had been investigating wargo people on the few books he could find that mentioned similar cultures: in most of Europe, most people saw the wolf as a monster to be hated. But old and distant cultures saw it as a spirit of duality, to be respected.<br/>It lived in family, with a defined hierarchi, planing carefuly treir attacks. It was kind with those they loved, but fierce, a great hunter, a force to be recon with.</p><p>Was this simply how Alkay had been educated? He really should ask, later.</p><p>'I... did hear them scream. Where they injured?'<br/>'Only a little. Nothing serious, a couple bites, a deep scratch... bruishes... nothing that won't heal'</p><p>He didn't mention Taka had been close to loosing his left eye. The skin all around had been badly injured, but a couple days leter the eye itself seemed to be working fine. Taka's precious freakled face would carry scars for the rest of his life, but he would keep his sight.</p><p>'I need to see them'<br/>'are you sure? Don't you want to wait a little more?'<br/>'...did they say something? Explain themselves?'</p><p>Alkay made a dismissive gesture with his nose</p><p>'The same old tale as all who were caught doing something wrong: I didn't do it, it wasn't like that, but I didn't mean it, oh yes, I did, but I had good reasons to do what I did...'</p><p>Alkay tilted towards him over the table and narrowed his eyes</p><p>'do you have an idea of how many people comit a crime and then are forgiven becouse they look and sound nice? Or innocent? Or with the simple excuse of "didn't know any better"? Women often are forbidden 'cause they look so pretty. Men are often forgiven becouse they plead mercy and swear they won't do it again. "hate the sin, love the sinner" "I didn't know" and "I didn't mean it" should be no excuse. Then you have actual innocent people getting harsh punishments without propper excuse'</p><p>Adrian remebered his own mother. He lowered his head, onto the untouched food on his plate</p><p>'I would like to see them. Myself, just once'<br/>'finish your food. Then we'll go'</p><p>...</p><p>It was Adrian's home, but he didn't feel like it as Alkay guided him down into the cells.<br/>They paused before the last door.</p><p>'are you sure?'</p><p>He noded. Alkay kept moving.</p><p>They arrived in front of two cells, right next to one another. The couple rested against each other, separated only for the barrets, their naked bodys covered by a very familiar, shredded sheet. They had used some pieces to patch the wounds... like Alkay said, a couple deep bites, remains of bruishes, and one huge lash across Taka's face.</p><p>Their long hair was loose across their faces and shoulders, as they had not been given any part of their attire, and they did not waste the sheet for make do garnments.<br/>There were basic accomodations in each cell: a bed of hay that they dragged next to the barrets, to sleep next to each other, a basin with water, and a basin with a cover, in one corner, for relieving themselves. It was not cold. The sheet, as little as it was, was enough.</p><p>They sat up with wide eyes when they saw Alucard.</p><p>'you... are back'<br/>'Shh, Taka. Alucard... how are you?'<br/>'Im fine. Not thanks to you'<br/>'We are sorry. We commited a mistake...'<br/>'Indeed' Alkay bared his teeth 'atacking the one that cares for you. Grave mistake indeed. What did you think you could do after he was gone? Did you really think Castlevania would serve you?'<br/>'We need the castle to save out land. Our entire land!'<br/>'good idea. Lets kill our only alay and somehow take over the world'</p><p>Taka seemed to grow impacient with Alkay not buying.</p><p>'we did what we had to! He was not going to help us! He was doing nothing!'<br/>'he was teaching you'<br/>'he wanted us to stay here for him forever! And he was not actually helping...'<br/>'he coocked for you. HE GAVE YOU A BLODDY PIGGY BACK RIDE!'</p><p>Alkay growled loudly.</p><p>'he is a vampire'</p><p>Taka said the word with venom. It pierced Adrian's chest as painfully as the swords would have. Suddenly he reacted like he would to any fiend who insulted him, taka's friendly fachade gone.</p><p>'I am a man too. And I was dedicated to you'<br/>'you where only satisfying your hunger. For blood or the companionship of a pet'<br/>'How dare you!' Alkay roared 'I will waste no more time with you. And had you half a brain, you would not try my patience any further'</p><p>He turned arround and walked up the stairs. Adrian stood standing in front of the cell. There was silence for a couple moments.</p><p>'Alucard' spoke Sumi 'you must understand... we are your friends'</p><p>Alucard's eyes widened. After everything. After literaly trying to stab him in the heart and insulting him to the face, Sumi still believed she could manipulate him with kind words.</p><p>He turned around and left, fury boilding his blood. <br/>Did he seem so maleable to her? Was he so stupid? Had Alkay not been there, would he still buy their lies?</p><p>Alkay saw him walk up the stairs and must have noticed.</p><p>'change yourself. We are going hunting'</p><p>...</p><p>They cut throu the forest like an unforgiving storm. Soon they were chasing after a deer. The unfortunate creature had markings on its flank, similar to dose in the pelt that had been used to tailor Taka's clotes, and it was being chased by two not hungry, but furious wolves.<br/>Alkay held the prey down, expecting the other to break its neck or suffocate it, but Adrian took his human shape and bit down on its neck.</p><p>Alkay stood still, as he listened Adrian gulping down the thick, warm sustance directly from the veins of the deer. It soon grew week and died.<br/>Adrian rose his head, ghasping like one does after a long walk and a large gulp of cold water, on a hot day.</p><p>'I wanted to ask you about your... feeding habits. How long was since you last fed?'</p><p>Adrian let himself lie on his back.</p><p>'Probably too long. I tend to pospone it'<br/>'we have to do this more often. Hm. Just out of curiosity... do your people bite their lovers?'</p><p>Adrian looked at him with wide eyes.</p><p>'No. Not that I know of. You are not food. Humans shouldn't be food'<br/>'I see. Tho I wouldn't judge. My people do tend to have that costume. I am the first to enjoy it'</p><p>Adrian's brows rose even further, but Alkay wasn't looking. He rolled on the grass, and a bit on the flank of their pray, still warm. Then, he woofed.<br/>Adrian didn't react, so Alkay dragged himself towards him and pawed him on the face.</p><p>'what'<br/>'woof'</p><p>Alkay then went the extra mile and bit Adrian's boot, trying to dislodge it of his foot. The dampire finaly turned into a wolf and growled at him, but Alkay saw it as a green light to lick his nose... and bite his ear.<br/>Adrian then snapped at him, and Alkay adopted the playful pose, and ran, coming back only to entice him. He was not giving up, and Adrian recurred to his last option: chase after him.</p><p>The light and the shade of the trees drew patterns on their fur as they ran under them. Adrian was panting like a happy puppy while Alkay guided him up and down a slope, and arround a single big tree trunk.</p><p>He finally takled him on the meadow, and held him down. Alkay seemed happy to be there, right under him. He had just seen him drinking blood, but he was not afraid: he wanted to play. He hadn't felt joy like this since he was a little boy being chased by his mother.<br/>He wanted to kiss him.</p><p>He wanted both to be human right now, and kiss Alkay, caress his hair and hold him close for dear life.</p><p>But Alkay was a panting wolf right now, and only incorporated a little to lick his nose.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Peace after the storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alkay and Adrian are both recovering from their wounds and deciding what to do next</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Im sorry for taking so long and becouse I feel this is not one of my inspired chapters</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alkay was a man now, and he was lying right under Adrian. His jet black hair sprawled like roots and his smile wide, looking up at him like he was the most beautiful thing he had seen in all his travels. Adrian was a man too. He was half lying on Alkay's body, and just had to crouch down... to taste his lips.</p><p>The kiss was so soft, but so intense. A jolt of pleasure shoot from his very core, and made his whole being tremble with pleasure just from this one kiss.<br/>How could one feel so much pleasure from just one gesture? The taste was intoxicating, like iron, like blood... exactly like blood. Had he graced his tounge a little too hard with his fangs?</p><p>He separated from the man and looked down.</p><p>Alkay had a bleeding bite on his neck, and he was smiling.</p><p>It was nothing in particular that woke him this time. There was light coming from the window, and he felt good. That is, scept for the lingering feeling of want and frustration. This one dream had felt so real, so intense... </p><p>He sure hoped Alkay didn't notice. What if he turned or spoke in dreams? If wolves can smell betrayal, he could sure recognice arounsal, right?<br/>He carefully pulled the sheet to cover his erection with a casual shape of the fabric, and only then did he dare to look at his side.</p><p>He did not expect to see what vision greeted him.</p><p>Alkay was curled somewhat around his legs, as usual, but in the shape of a man.<br/>Adrian Breathed deeply. Why? Just... why? He just... couldn't fantom an answer. Not this early in the morning.</p><p>And there was the problem of his arousal. Should he walk out, carefull not to wake Alkay and demand explanations when the problem was taken care of?</p><p>He was going to try that, but the shifting of the bed as he did woke the wolf from his slumber. Adrian hurried to hold the sheet so it would hide his condition, as Alkay shifted a little, yawned and blinked a couple times, before he took concience of his surroundings.<br/>He smiled at Adrian and went to stretch... the way he did as a wolf. Then he saw the limbs in front of him where human arms, and realiced what had happened.</p><p>He looked at imself, and back at Adrian.<br/>His clotes had shifted back on, but Adrian was wearing his nightshirt, and the sheet, stretched in front of him in a puritan way.</p><p>'oh. Oh, Im sorry...'</p><p>Still half asleep, he stretched his whole body, this time as a human: lying on his back, straight, arms reaching above his head. And Adrian couldn't ignore the way his back arched and the sound he made.<br/>Then Alkay was sitting at the border of the bed, and rolling his shoulder carefully.</p><p>'I think Im all healed!'<br/>'but... its only been a few days'<br/>'yeah, we do heal faster than humans. Anyways, its good enough to shift'<br/>'so. This happens often?'<br/>'uh?' </p><p>Alkay looked at him over his shoulder but seeing as he was still holding the sheet, he turned again</p><p>'oh yes! Um, sometimes. I find it happens more often if there's warm weather. It seems I subconsciously decide I don't need a fur coat if it's too hot'</p><p>Adrian tilted his head to the side, understanding how that may work. He was dealing with an involuntary reaction while asleep right now...</p><p>'You can imagine I've had more akward mornings than this... specially when it goes the other way arround'</p><p>Adrian had no time to fit those concepts in his head before Alkay excused himself and quickly walked out the door. There was much to think: Aparently, he sleeped around. Possibly with strangers that would be shocked at finding him in his animal form the next morning.</p><p>He carefully got up, and contemplated himself. The nightshirt did nothing to hide the bulge between his legs. Did Alkay notice? If he did, he was kind enough to pretend not to. <br/>He walked to the basin, and threw some water on his face.</p><p>If Alkay was one for casual sex... would he take him in bed?</p><p>He frowned at himself on the mirror, and dried his face. Whatever Alkay did in intimacy was not his problem. He couldn't risk the beautiful relationship they had for a good fuck.</p><p>He stood there, looking at the towel on his hands.<br/>He didn't want just a good fuck. He wanted Alkay. All of him. His smiles, and his stories, and his entusiasm, and the runs throu the woods, and the more serious version of him, and his dark, strange expirience. He wanted his smiles, and his kiss.</p><p>He wanted to run the strands of dark hair between his fingers and wisper on the shell of his ear... I love thee...</p><p>But, Alkay was all he had. If Alkay did not want him, then he risked beeing alone, again.<br/>In fact, he remembered, he wouldn't be completly alone: there were two traitors in the cells, and he had to deal with them.</p><p>Now there was something he could concentrate on for now.</p><p>...</p><p>He found Alkay coocking breakfast, as he couldn't do these past few days. Adrian had been doing that for practicity while being shocked at all the other things Alkay could still do with total normalcy while being a wolf. For one, he had developed a habit of lying on the carpet in front of the fire reading. Passing the pages with the tip of his wolf nose.</p><p>It was ovbious he had lots of practice. But Now Alkay stood in his human form, sleeves rolled up and hair held in a pony tail, coocking. Adrian realiced he had missed that.</p><p>'Would you like some butter toast?' </p><p>He smiled. Alkay seemed to be in a wonderful mood today, for ovbious reasons. Adrian felt terrible for ruining yet another breakfast with serious talk. Maybe... he would just let this one pass, until after they had digested, at least.</p><p>'so. Whats on your mind this morning?'</p><p>"you are" he thought. He didn't say it, but he was surprised by how hard it was to restrain himself.</p><p>'I don't know' he said instead, buying some time to think of a propper answer 'what would you like to do today? We could celebrate that you are human again'</p><p>nice</p><p>Alkay smiled</p><p>'Well, recovering from a minor injury isn't much cause of celebration, and I am a wolf most of the time anyways... but perhaps you are right. We should do something special. We beated all the odds and life is merry right now'<br/>'So maybe you should decide what's the plan for today'<br/>'uh. Thats a thought... oh. Look, how about we go shopping?'</p><p>Adrian looked back with a bit of shock</p><p>'The next fair is still a bit far, but we could go to the town and take a look at the market. See if there's anything we like. There's no better way to celebrate being human than sharing with other humans'</p><p>Adrian was silent. He didn't really like the idea of exposing himself like that. Some people may recognice him, and after everything that had happened... but then he remebered, he could not let fear rob him of the little things, or it would take over everything.</p><p>'Sure'</p><p>Alkay packed a stack of dried and seasoned meat and some palolu to sell at the market and, seeing Adrian's expresion, offered him a trick.</p><p>'we could make you a makeshift beard and put you in a hood. You would be surprised how something as simple as a beard will prevent you from being recogniced'</p><p>Adrian imagined Alkay with a fake beard and a hood, walking throu the streets with a walking stick, pretending to be an elderly man... and realiced that was probably something Alkay had done at some point</p><p>'There is so much to learn from you still'</p><p>when leaving, Alkay took his animal form. Adrian had nearly forgotten about that: he sat on his back and Alkay started a gentle trot.<br/>On the way, they just talked of everything and nothing.</p><p>'...you should see how we use the sled. Children take a sled by pairs and take turns to pull and ride the sled carrying it up a slope and riding it down. Its a never ending race! I say children but grown ups do it too. Its kind of a regional competition!'<br/>'It sounds fun'</p><p>Adrian imagined trevor and Sypha would be willing to try that</p><p>'Its one of the things we can never forget to do when we reunite, my family and I'<br/>'is it allways during winter?'<br/>'oh yes, I allways go back to them for winter celebration. Its kind of an important event, and its not the same if Im not there... also, I allways bring some kind of present, and my sister...'</p><p>Alkay kept talking, and didn't realice Adrian was not listening. Alkay would leave for next winter? How far away was that? It was probably far, he remembered seeing snow somewhere while traveling with Trevor and Sypha... but it was hard to tell: Vhalakia was a cold land, and he had lost the track of time...</p><p>'hey Adrian'<br/>'yes?'<br/>'I hate to interrupt your misterious train of thought but we are nearing the town. I should shift'<br/>'right'</p><p>Adrian made sure to stay behind and let Alkay do the talking. He moved throu the market eager but carefully, like he had done it a thousand times. When they arrived at the butcher's shop the man recogniced him.</p><p>'the hunter! And you bring a friend! You are not gonna sell me the man, are you? I don't see you carrying anything this time'<br/>'nothing big, Im afraid, but I don't come empty handed'</p><p>Alkay brought out the seasoned and dried meat. It was a good amount and good quality, but he made the butcher a good offer, becouse he could afford it, but maybe the other man couldn't'</p><p>'do you know where I can sell these?' he showed him the palolu<br/>'uh? What is that?'<br/>'Palolu. Its a short of sweet. It can be used as a spice. Try one'</p><p>The butcher took it, but seemed hesitant</p><p>'you are kidding me, right?'<br/>'on the contrary' Alkay got out his own, that he kept at hand 'I chew on these all the time. As children, my sibilings and I would search for it and fight for them'</p><p>The butcher seemed to decide it was worth a try and put the stick on his mouth. He was quiet for a few senconds, moving his lips... and then his eyes widened.</p><p>'this is actually pretty good!'<br/>'it goes good with some foods, like mint'<br/>'it doesn't go bad on its own!'<br/>'I know'<br/>'hm... Gavian will probably buy it, he has a little of everything... he's gonna love these!'</p><p>Alkay and Adrian left with a little less weight and more money, looking for the one called Gavian.</p><p>'He knows you well'<br/>'I got him meat enough to sustain his bushiness on my own. Sometimes we have to make amends somehow becouse I produce way more than he can afford to take in'<br/>'no wonder he likes you. ...did you realice how he looked at me?'<br/>'no, how?'<br/>'I don't know. I can't tell if he recogniced me or not'</p><p>Adrian waited outside of the next shop. He kept his eyes down, but looked carefully over his shoulder whenever anyone walked by. Adrian walked out with an ample smile.</p><p>'I will soon have new clients'<br/>'won't you miss your sweets?'<br/>'I kept a few for myself, of course. What about you?'<br/>'what about me?'<br/>'don't you want to do something? Buy some species? Look for clotes? You could use a hooded cape if you are this skittish around the town'<br/>'I don't need it. I don't come here'<br/>'...that sounds like a an eternal cicle... you know a cape won't hurt you. We have money to spare'<br/>'...fine'</p><p>They ended up buying a cape, and a leather belt with pockets, and a fabric purse. It was a good day for the bushiness.</p><p>'I don't need a purse if I have a belt with pockets'<br/>'I told you: the coins scape the pockets the moment you trip. Bedsides the pockets are to be filled with other things'<br/>'like what?'<br/>'the things you buy with the coins on the purse, how are you not getting this?'</p><p>Adrian would repeat, again, -I don't travel- but it was a waste of breath, so he just groaned instead.</p><p>For lunch, they bought a couple of pregnant buns and stopped by fountain, ate, drank a little water... and Alkay just stood there, looking at their reflections in the mirror.</p><p>'I don't know you, but I really enjoy these little things in life. You have to hold onto them, or everything else may drag you down'</p><p>Alkay contemplated the water, and the figures reflected on it. It was kind of pacefull, but beneath, he felt a flurry of emotions blurred together.<br/>This was probably the best moment to kiss Alkay and he couldn't even bring himself to think of that right now.</p><p>'Its starting to get late. We should head back'</p><p>Adrian was a bit shocked. To him, it seemed very early: the sky was still clear, there was people on the streets... then he remembered: the castle was a long way and they had to calculate time and distance. They could go back faster than anyone in the town could hope for, but still, Alkay had wanted just a small trip.</p><p>...</p><p>'you are very quiet. Enjoying the trip?'</p><p>Adrian considered dismising the reason for his silence, but eventualy decided against it.</p><p>'I was thinking'<br/>'about what?'<br/>'well, Im sorry to bring it up but... I think we need to talk of Sumi and Taka'<br/>'sure. What about them?'</p><p>his tone sounded calm enough. Adrian continued.</p><p>'what should we do with them? Keep them locked away for the rest of their lives?'<br/>'hmm'<br/>'...do you have any idea?'</p><p>The wolf kept quiet for a few seconds, and then answered.</p><p>'in this cases you have to consider two aspects: what would be the proper punishment, and what would be practical. For example, even if they did deserve to spend the rest of their lives in cages, simply keeping them there may be a waste of resources and an inconnvinience for us. Thus, arguably a proper punishment, but not practical'<br/>'that would be solved by delivering them to a carceler. Someone who's job is to do that so its no longer a problem for us'<br/>'yes, then you enter the whole discussion of how apropiate and fair is the management of depending wich cell... the whole thing is... controversial'<br/>'so what would you do?'<br/>'me? Well... keeping in mind its just an opinion from the top of my head? ...shall I tell you a story?'</p><p>Adrian sat back with a quiet laught</p><p>'sure'<br/>'my father told me there are three different types of punishment, and then, maybe variations of them. Imagine you have a land with trees that are, for some reason, forbidden to be cut, and someone cuts them. You can take the man's ax, maybe give him a speech and send him on his way, wich is purely practical. You stop him from doing more damage, and don't do any damage yourself.</p><p>Then imagine he gets another ax and does it again. This time, a harsher punishment is applied, and not only the ax is taken from him, but you hurt him in some way. Maybe force him to pay some money, maybe lock him in public to humiliate him and serve as an example to other people. This is the, lets call it, active aproach. Now he and others will think twice before doing the deed.<br/>Of course, you risk others or himself reacting wrongly and actively burning down the forest in retaliation. <br/>Now whoever worshipped the trees tracks them down, chops off theyr hands with their own axes and burns the criminals alive. This would be revenge. It may sound as poetic justice but it doesent really make sense. It doesent fix the problem, in fact most of the times, it somehow causes more, such as generating more acts of revenge. Arguably, you become more of a criminal than the original perpetrator'</p><p>Alkay kept silence for a few moments. Then Adrian spoke.</p><p>'I guess its a way to explain the concept to a child'<br/>'It worked for me. Unfortunatedly, it is not allways so simple. In fact, when it is important its often more complicated'<br/>'so what would you do?'<br/>'I don't really like making big decisions but when I have no choice, I often go for a balaced option,  Keeping Sumi and Taka locked away is both cruel and impractical. That is not an option. Killing them sounds a bit close to revenge, thou it would be practical. Funny enough, the choice I would make is the most risky'<br/>'and wich is that?'<br/>'banishment. The comon punishment to people of my land who comit a harsh crime. Traitors are often given some kind of marking so others will know they are not to be trusted, and sent away. Often, if the crime is not serious, they will be given a task to complete to redime themselves, and then be allowed back into the land. If the crime was serious and they dare to come back, then they shall be killed'<br/>'...you suggest... we free Taka and Sumi?'<br/>'They want only to save their country, and they are some of the finest warriors in the world. I don't condemn what they did, but I must try to be impartial if we are to judge them. Maybe they can still help a lot of innocent people back in japan'</p><p>Adrian was so shocked he fumbled for words</p><p>'even if you are right, if we let them go, we risk them coming back to kill us in our sleep'<br/>'sometimes even the best choice is not much better than the other options you get. What other options we have? We don't want to keep them. Should we give them to a carceler who may be a sadist? Should we kill them and robb them of the posibility of redemption and helping others? We could, these days death even bluntly unfair is not rare. And they did wrong you greatly. I am afraid the choice is yours'</p><p>Adrian thought in silence. He felt... frustrated, that Alkay was actually willing to set them free after what they had done. How could he even suggest that? It shouldn't be an option!<br/>Alkay seemed to understand he needed time, and kept walking in silence. Adrian had no more reason to argue, furious, confused as he was.</p><p>He averted his gaze and found dark, large shadows in the ground, sourranded by deep colors.<br/>Rising his eyes, he found the sky reddening with the nearing of the night, and the feeling and smells of fresh air.<br/>He found, to his surprise that his anger did not last long. They had had such nice day, it seemed like a waste to argue.</p><p>He decided he would think about that later. He should change the issue, yes, but... how?</p><p>'what would you like for dinner? We could improvise something together'<br/>'... yes'<br/>'I know we have some fish in salt. I could try one of my experiments...'<br/>'I'd like to add palolu, see what happens'<br/>'oooh, salt and sweet. Edgy!'</p><p>And just like that, they arrived at the castle.</p><p>...</p><p>Alkay didn't say anything. Not directly, but he didn't acompany Adrian to his room that night.<br/>Adrian understood. A time had pased since the attack, and Alkay was in the shape of a man. He couldn't keep sleeping on his bed with him, could he?<br/>It made more sense like this, but he would miss him.</p><p>He found himself searching for an excuse to keep Alkay near him throu the night, and he felt childlish and egoistic. Alkay probably didn't want to stay neither, he would want to stay up reading deep into the night and run under the moon and the rain in his wolf form. He only stayed to keep him grounded.</p><p>It just didn't make sense. If he wanted Alkay so close he should tell him.<br/>But how could he?</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Release</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alkay lets something go. Adrian does too</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrian woke up feeling... neutral. Sometimes you have a nice dream and wake up in a good mood, sometimes you feel kinda shitty for no reason and sometimes you just wake up and start your day.<br/>Looking around, sitting in his bed, alone, like nothing had happened made him feel a sense of normalcy. That was nice, wasn't it? </p><p>He washed his face with some nice, cold water and looked throu the window. It was a sunny, beautiful day and he guessed it would be a nice one.</p><p>He dressed himself and went down to the kitchen, as usual. Alkay was already coocking.</p><p>'good morning' he said. Alkay answered with a casual hum.</p><p>Adrian walked up to his side to see what was cooking and try to help. It was nice to coock together... Alkay made a gesture with his head, and Adrian looked at him.<br/>Alkay was crying. He was standing there, bawling his eyes out, in silence. Thick, abundant tears flowed down his cheeks and nose like a goddamn stream, and his eyes and all the skin arround them were redened. He had turned his head in an atempt to hide it from Adrian, but it was to no use.<br/>He just kept cooking.</p><p>'what happened!?'</p><p>Alkay did not respond, it did not stop Adrian from entering panic mode.</p><p>'Alkay, what happened? Talk to me!'</p><p>Alkay merely breathed deeply and wiped his face with a handerchief that was already soaking wet. Adrian held him by the shoulders and turned him away from the fire and towards himself. Then, Alkay finaly spoke and he did with a low, broken voice</p><p>'its allright, Im fine, Im fine... its okay'<br/>'no its not. I need to know what happened'<br/>'Adrian please!' Alkay made an effort to breathe deeply and explain himself throu his trembling breath 'just let me be, for a while. Please'</p><p>His manner was so firm, even in this state, that Adrian couldn't but respect his space, and let him go.<br/>Alkay walked away from him and out of the room, and he was left standing there.<br/>He wondered. What could have made him get so upset? <br/>He looked around. The kitchen was as usual, whenever they coocked. There was bread and bacon frying in the pan, a knife, quite clean... but even if Alkay had hurt himself cooking he didn't think he would cry like that.</p><p>Was it something he had said or done? He seemed fine yesterday, when they last spoke. They spent the whole day talking, and nothing seemed to bother him even when they spoke of Sumi and Taka.<br/>Alkay was, normaly, such a calm and resonable person, why would he...?</p><p>Sumi and Taka. Adrian was not alone in this castle with Alkay. There was Sumi and Taka too, and Alkay was their self-apointed carceler. He fed them everyday. He probably had to clean their waste, and he probably talked to them...<br/>What could they say or do to make him so upset, Adrian didn't know, but he couldent put it past them to try and hurt him in any way.</p><p>Adrian flew downstairs and grabbed the barrets that held the couple.</p><p>'what have you done?'<br/>'...what?'<br/>'what have you done to Alkay? Tell me'<br/>'Alkay...? he didn't come today. He's usually very early, but today he didn't come'<br/>'liar! Tell me what happened this morning or I swear...'<br/>'what?'</p><p>The two humans had seemed intimidated by his sudden appearence, but now Sumi stood up to him, firm and shameless</p><p>'will you finally kill us? Drink our blood? We expect nothing less of you. You can torture us as much as you like, we haven't seen your precious pet today'</p><p>Adrian roared throu the barrets, his fangs and nails fully grown</p><p>'I will let you know I have no intention of keeping you here forever, and I am thinking of how to get rid of you. And I just may pick up a trick my father did with pointy sticks'</p><p>knowing their horrified expressions was the best he would get, he left, and tried to think of something he could do to calm himself. <br/>He suspected Alkay had done the same. Knowing him, the wolf would be runing throu the forest right now, maybe looking for something to kill in orther to let all the energy out and relax.<br/>He would have to try and talk to him when they were both calmed down, hours later.</p><p>...</p><p>Alkay came to him later that day, at the library. Adrian waited for him to speak first.</p><p>'so... about what happened before, um... I know it looks very bad, but its not really'</p><p>Adrian lifted an eyebrow but let him continue</p><p>'I just, you know. Its hard to explain but, sometimes that happens to me. It doesent happen very often, but when it does is like... having a nightmare, and you can't wake up. So its not important, I just... stay calm and wait for it to pass'<br/>'but... why it happens?'<br/>'I don't want to talk about it'<br/>'...is it for something someone said?'<br/>'...not really'</p><p>A strange feeling of a weight fell on Adrian's stomach</p><p>'...so, it wasnt something I or Taka or Sumi said?'</p><p>Alkay gave him a perplexed look, and then his eyes went wide</p><p>'oh, shit I... completly forgot to feed them today. With all of that... wait, why would you think it was them?'<br/>'oh... oh no. Well, I... they are the only other people in the castle. And you are the one seeing them every day, and I could expect anything of them so...?<br/>'oh gods! What did you say to them?'<br/>'...'<br/>'Adrian? Please tell me you didn't hurt them. I mean, it could be argued that they deserve anything that happens to them but this time it wasn't their fault'<br/>'...I told them that we were thinking of a way to get rid of them. That much is true'<br/>'right'</p><p>Adrian doubted whether he should tell him this, but something deep in his head wanted to know his reaction</p><p>'and, I may... have threatened them... reminding them what my father was famous for?'</p><p>Alkay stared at him with wide eyes. Then, slowly, he passed his hands throu his face and up throu his hair</p><p>'shit... Adrian...'</p><p>A bigger, darker preasure appeared in Adrian's chest. He did not hold himself back from asking the next question.</p><p>'Are you afraid I will turn out like my father?'</p><p>Alkay took a moment to react, but he did rather calmly, sincere.</p><p>'...are you?'</p><p>For a moment, Adrian didn't know what to answer. Then Alkay continued</p><p>'you know, sometimes... I am afraid I will'</p><p>that was odd</p><p>'but you talk of your father like he was a good man. He coocked, he told you stories...'<br/>'yeah, that was the one that took me in. The other one wasn't. He... did some terryble things to me, and my family'</p><p>Adrian needed a moment for the new information to settle in. Suddenly his defensiveness seemed to turn to confusion and, once again, curiosity.</p><p>'that... I didn't know'<br/>'Oh I don't like to talk about it. But I see him sometimes, in the mirror. There is a reason I don't look like my sibilings'</p><p>The sensation of weight crawled up Adrian's spine. He just didn't know what to say... so Alkay did, and gave him some time.</p><p>'You know, I am not going to judge your father, becouse I didn't know him. I only know stories I heared of him, and a few pictures on the wall, and you. So from what I can put together, he seemed like a complex man. Someone ancient, who's probably gone throu a lot, who studies science. <br/>He probably did a few questionable things, and then he had a beautiful wife and a son who I consider a good man. He sounds like a complex person, with parts of him that were dark, and parts that may have been pretty good'<br/>'...he was. He really was. I...' Adrian sighed 'I didn't get to know the dark side of him. I only knew him as a whise man and a loving father, and adoring husband. I only saw the other side of him twice, after my mother died. He was not the same person'<br/>'...tell me, Adrian... what do you think may be worse? To have one person you love, with this... two sides of them, so contradictory, or to have two persons in your life, who are completly different, fighting over you?'</p><p>It was an honest question. Adrian tried to imagine it. He tried to imagine Vlad Dracula Tepes had been two diferent persons, one, the caring teacher and the loving father, and another the merciless, vengeful monster, both fighting over him.</p><p>...it would have been devastating. They would have torn each other apart, they would have destroyed everything...<br/>oh. Is that what happened to Alkay's family?</p><p>'I... don't know, honestly'<br/>'me neither'</p><p>This whole thing brought a new perspective to his own experience. It was confusing, true, but Adrian allways had the memories and the hope...</p><p>He had memories of a beautiful golden childhood, with two loving parents who spoiled him, and as abruptly and sadly as it had ended, he was alive to cherish those memories.<br/>He had to learn from them, try to be better... to make the memory of his parents justice.</p><p>'...you are really too young to be this whise'</p><p>Alkay snikered</p><p>'No, honestly, where would I be without your guidence?'<br/>'maybe dead, on your bed?'</p><p>Adrian's eyes went wide</p><p>'...too soon?'</p><p>But the shock was such that Adrian could only laught at Alkay's guilty puppy face. God he loved this man. He needed to tell him. But, probably not right now.</p><p>...</p><p>'we should just let them go'</p><p>Said Adrian later on, kind of out of the blue. But Alkay understood.</p><p>'Are you sure? It would certainly be very kind... but not necessarily inteligent'<br/>'We are not just setting them free. They will be warned that if we see them ever again, they'll be executed. Perhaps we should take their weapons away too'<br/>'if we do they'll have no way to defend themselves from the creatures of the night... or strangers. Or hunt to feed themselves'<br/>'right. They can keep them. But after their gone, if you even get a wiff of their scent in the territory arround the castle, don't hesitate to hunt them down and maul them'<br/>'...it will be my pleasure'</p><p>...</p><p>The next morning when Alkay went to feed them, he also threw their clothes in.</p><p>'get dressed. You won't be staying much longer'<br/>'what does that mean?'<br/>'what are you going to do with us?'<br/>'get dressed'</p><p>The couple got dressed slowly, sistematically, not taking their eyes of him for one second. Once they where done, Alkay oppened one of the doors, and went to grab Sumi. She resisted as much as she could, she held onto the barrets, and Taka on the other side held onto her. She kicked and tried to fight but she did not have her weapons, and Alkay dragged her up the stairs and threw her on the ground, outside the castle, where Adrian was waiting. Then Alkay repeated the process with Taka.</p><p>The couple held each other and cowered in front of the lord of the castle and his wolf carceler.</p><p>'get away and never come back'</p><p>It took a moment for them to process</p><p>'what?'<br/>'...you are not setting us free, are you?'<br/>'oh no. You are being banished. You will get to keep a weapon each'</p><p>Alkay threw at their feet a couple of short swords. More than enough to defend themselves, but not much if they wanted to attack right then.</p><p>'if we ever sense your presence arround these parts you will die'</p><p>Sumi got separated from Taka, and tentatively picked up the swords, passing one to her companion.</p><p>'but, won't we ever be able to redime ourselves?'</p><p>Adrian's voice was dangerously deep when he answered</p><p>'I can still change my mind and kill you, now'</p><p>Taka took Sumi's wrist and carefully pulled back.</p><p>'is that all? Nothing else you want from us?'<br/>'oh there is a time limit. You have one hour to get out of these lands, and when its over I will hunt you down and kill you if you are still here'</p><p>the couple's eyes widened</p><p>'what are you doing? RUN'</p><p>And they did. They bolted and run into the woods. Adrian waited until they had already dissapeared between the trees</p><p>'are you serious about the time limit?'<br/>'I may be. What are the limits of your land, have you thought about that? If the castle is staying here, and the vault belongs to you, maybe the lands that belonged to the Belmonts are yours now? Have you thought fo putting a short of fence or a sign for people to knwo its privet propperty...?'</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. About time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Well, someone was beating arround the bush and someone is being childlish</p><p>Sorry for taking so long to publish! I moved and I had a lot of stuff to deal with...<br/>But I do want to put a proper end to this fic and I still have a few ideas to work on before that</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alkay scouted the territory, going all arround the castle, widening the circle several times, and then put special atention in the forest, for it was the place more likely for a certain couple to linger...<br/>but there was no sign of them. Even the faint trail of scent they had left behind had faded little after they left. Probably becouse they were experienced hunters and knew how to cover their tracks.<br/>This only made Alkay the more weary.</p><p>He finally had his paranoia satisfied and turned back to the castle down the stream...<br/>and there, a few paces in front of him, was Adrian.</p><p>They both stoped in place and looked at each other. This is the same spot and position they had been when they first met, not so long ago, but it felt like an eternity.<br/>Alkay waved his tail slowly. The lord of the castle smiled.</p><p>'The first time we met, you were pretending to be a dog'<br/>'I pretended nothing. You made your own conclusions'<br/>'Im sure that wasn't your plan'<br/>'woof'</p><p>Adrian smiled. It was a beautifull, wide smile, and it alone brightened Alkay's day. He teased him.</p><p>'I may be mistaken, but maybe you did know I was a man'<br/>'what makes you think so?'<br/>'...you cheked me out, did you not?'</p><p>Adrian took a few seconds to realice what he meant and then he blushed furiously</p><p>'I... did not...!'</p><p>but Alkay gave him no chance to explain himself. He jumped on him and bit the basket and pulled, starting an effortless tug of war between the two. </p><p>'Did your mother not teach you not to play with food?'<br/>'us wolves learn to hunt and eat throu play-fighting'</p><p>Adrian let go of the basket, making Adrian trip back on his skinny wolf legs.</p><p>'fine, you can have it, and carry it all the way to the castle'</p><p>Alkay dropped the basket and attacked one of Adrian's boots. </p><p>'hey! Stop it!'</p><p>But he didn't. And Adrian knew he wouldn't unless he stopped him himself.<br/>When Alkay found himself suddenly munchig on a white wolf's leg, and recieving a warning bite from Adrian, he knew the game was on.</p><p>They play-wrestled and chased each other back to the river and Alkay let himself be cornered into it... to then jump into the water and splash it all over Adrian.</p><p>The white wolf made the face of a noble who got his precious nail broken, and Alkay had the audacity to jump on him and give him a soaking wet embrace, and play-bite his face, slobbering all over it.</p><p>Adrian howled like he had drawn blood and started wrestling back for real.</p><p>Alkay presented resistance, but centered a bit more on the water, trying to throw Adrian in, until the white wolf run out of patience and held him down by the neck.</p><p>Alkay lied on his back, and turned human, laughting in big gasps.</p><p>Adrian found suddenly a very human neck between his teeth and let go. Alkay didn't notice his shock and started tickling the wolf in the sides. Adrian grunted, snapping at his hands, and the man under him let them lie palm up at the sides of his head in a surrender gesture. He seemed happy to be under him, so exausted with laughter and smiling widely, breathing heavily, with his shirt wet and and his hair a mess against the forest floor.</p><p>He tilted up and kissed the wolf in the nose.</p><p>Adrian turned human out of shock. Alkay was still high on laughter and just lied there.<br/>It is then, when Adrian couldn't hold himself back any longer, and just leaned down to kiss him.<br/>It was just a peck in the lips, soft, short, yet intense.<br/>A declaration of intentions, more than anything. Simple, innocent.</p><p>He leaned back again, and looked at Alkay's face. He was not smiling anymore. Now he seemed shocked.</p><p>'Im sorry'<br/>'no, its okay. I just... don't know if this is wise, after everything you've been throu...'</p><p>The answer had Adrian closing his eyes and exaling a small breath</p><p>'you... are allways worrying... I don't know about that, but... you make me feel... happy, content  ...and I wish... I wish I could make the same for you, if you want me to'</p><p>Alkay didnt answer at first. He rose a hand to caress Adrian's hair.</p><p>'just this once... I don't want to worry anymore'</p><p>Adrian smiled, a sweet, shy smile and then let himself lie against Alkay, and kissed him again.<br/>Only this time, Alkay responded.</p><p>...</p><p>The sense of time was completly lost to kissing and cuddling in the wet grass, and they only incorporated when the temperature was starting to get annoying. Then, walked akwardly to the castle. The basket, completly forgotten.</p><p>Adrian was so excited. He had finally gone and done it! Told him what he felt... and Alkay returned his feelings... but now, what to do? Did they just keep the relationship the way it was and... slowly incorporated kissing and stuff?</p><p>The only referent he had was that of his parents, who had been married before he had use of reason, and... his relationship with Sumi and Taka, wich was not a good example.<br/>...it was kind of patetic, really. Would Trevor be bold enough to tease him about it? </p><p>He tried to shake these thoughts of his head and looked at the one walking next to him.<br/>Alkay was smiling to himself, looking at nowere in particular, just enjoying the walk and breathing deep in the air of the forest.</p><p>And that just made Adrian feel... happy.</p>
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